Growing Up The Half Way
by Joe Fenton
Summary: Genma and Ranma go to China early. How will Ranma deal with being cursed at six?
1. Stupid Is As Stupid Does

A Ranma 1/2 alternate universe mini-series. Genma and Ranma go to China after Ukyo's father files charges against Genma for running off with his yatai. A PG-13 rating for language and situations.

This story and a few others can be found on my web page at  
http://www.geocities.com/jlfenton65/  
jlfenton65@yahoo.com  
  
Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. and was created by Rumiko Takahashi.  
This story is of my own derivation and is not intended for commercial purposes, so please don't sue me.  


Author's Notes: Another alternative universe story. They're just so darn _fun_ to write. :^} Chi is the term many Westerners use for the body's life force. The word is qi in Chinese, and ki in Japanese. They are all the same. I just switch between qi and ki depending on who is using the term. Yes, Shampoo doesn't speak in broken sentences here, but that's because all her conversations here are in her native tongue. Ranma is always referred to in the masculine because he believes himself to be male regardless of his body. You'll just have to keep an eye out for all the references to which form he is currently in. This is deliberately different than in most my other stories where Ranma's sex is referred to explicitly unless someone is speaking about him.

Growing Up the Half Way

by Joe Fenton

Chapter 1: Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Jiro Kuonji listened to his daughter crying in her room. She hadn't stopped since those bastards had left her behind and run off with his yatai. He frowned; he had come up to tell her that she would now have to be his son since his daughter had been disgraced. Pausing at the door, he had listened to the muffled sobs for a time. What was he thinking? How could he do this to his little girl? It wasn't her fault, it was those two bastards, Ranma and Genma... his frown deepened. No, he was doing it again. How could he blame the little boy? He _knew_ from his interactions with Ranma just what the six year-old boy was like; he wouldn't have agreed to the engagement if Ranma hadn't impressed him so much. No, the only one to blame here was Genma... and maybe himself. If he hadn't had been so eager to have Ranma in his family, he wouldn't have overlooked Genma's less-than-honorable actions. Now was the time to make up for his lack of judgment, not to compound the error. He picked up the phone extension in the hall and dialed the district police substation; he had a theft to report - and maybe a case of possible child-abuse. His frown lessened just a little.

****

Genma cursed as he took the pack from Ranma. He figured the boy was just too young to swim all the way to China with the heavy pack; without it, all he had to do was just tread water. He had done that much before as training. Damn that Kuonji! All this trouble for a yatai. If he had thought there would be this much fuss, he would have never have agreed to the engagement. He sighed in frustration; he hadn't even been able to enjoy it - once Kuonji-san filed that report with the police, he had been forced to abandon the bulky cart. It was time to leave the country until things cooled off. China sounded nice right now; plenty of temples and old training grounds for the boy.

****

"Here, sir. Is legendary 'Training Ground of Accursed Springs.'" Their guide gestured at the pools. Genma nodded; a little balance practice for the boy would stop his whining. He had listened to the boy cry about leaving 'Uc-chan' behind since before they left Japan. If he heard any more, he was going to increase the intensity of their daily sparring matches.

He gestured for Ranma to follow. "Come on, boy! It's just like walking on a picket fence." He leapt to the closest bamboo pole, then to the next. The little boy was right behind him.

The guide shouted after them. "Wait, sirs! Very bad if fall in spring!" The pair continued hopping from pole to pole across the pools. He shrugged; at least they were using the training ground properly. Some folks were actually stupid enough to try to fight on the poles; the only ones with that level of skill were the Amazons. After watching for several minutes, he shrugged again and left for his small hut nearby. He'd put on the kettle and wait to see if they needed it. Maybe the kami would be merciful on the idiot and his poor child.

The sunlight was just fading when he heard voices approaching the hut. He opened the door and looked over his customers; well, they looked okay. The child seemed damp, but otherwise unchanged. He breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the spirits that watched over fools.

"You very lucky, sirs! Very bad to fall in spring."

Genma waved him off. "Bah! Nothing for a True Master of The Art."

The guide smiled at Ranma. "Yes, young one much skilled for age."

Genma wasn't sure if he had been insulted, or his boy complimented. He shrugged. "Any other places around here that might be worth checking?"

The guide thought a moment. "Is 'Village of Amazons.' Great women warriors -"

Genma interrupted him. "I don't think so. Women distract from The Art. The last thing I need is some weak woman giving the boy strange ideas."

The guide boggled as Genma shouldered his pack and walked off with the boy in tow. He had never heard _anyone_ talk about the Amazons that way; he shook his head, hoping the fool didn't say such things where it would get back to them. They took great pride in their warrior skills and heritage. "Customers much strange." He muttered quietly. Well, at least these managed to avoid being cursed.

****

Genma waited until night was well along before stopping. He soon had a fire going and the rice cooking in a pot over it. He frowned as Ranma came running back to camp in tears.

"I-i-it's gone! I lost it somewhere..."

Genma cut him off with a blow to the head. "Whatever it was you lost is your own fault, boy. Maybe you'll learn to be more careful. Now quit crying; only weak little girls cry."

"B-b-but..."

"Not one more word! If I hear one more thing about this, I'll give you a _real_ reason to cry."

He watched the boy slowly choke down his sobs. Good; better the boy learn to deal with a little pain now. He'd be a better fighter for it. After all, the path of a True Martial Artist was ever fraught with peril. Besides, he couldn't listen to anymore complaints today.

****

The lady behind the counter looked up as a boy, maybe eight or nine, slipped into the small general store. At least, she thought it was a boy from the way he dressed and the messy appearance. He was rather cute with a tangled mop of red hair tied back in a sloppy pig-tail. She smiled at him.

"Can I help you, honored customer?"

Ranma frowned a moment as he translated the Chinese, then replied in a moderate accent. "I need somethin' to make my hair black." He was glad he had bothered to learn the language; his pop still couldn't, even after two years in the country.

She looked over the child. "Are you sure? That's such a lovely shade."

The boy sighed. "My pop don't like it. If I don't change it, he'll hit me again."

She frowned at this. "Well, let me find something, then I'll show you how to apply it."

The boy nodded and followed her back into the store. Soon, he was headed back to their camp, black hair restored once more and a few extra bottles to stash in his pack. He wondered why his hair changed color the way it did. He still hadn't figured out how that happened, just that it was sometimes red and sometimes black. It was red more often when they were traveling; maybe it was being outside. He shrugged; with the hair dye, he wouldn't need to worry about it anymore.

He joined his pop at the public bath. After a couple weeks on the road, he was looking forward to a long soak in the hot water. He was glad he insisted on a dye that didn't run in water; as much as they were on the road in the rain, he didn't need it washing out. He scrubbed clean, wrapped himself in a towel and went to the large bath. He sighed as the hot water enveloped him; this made the time on the road almost worth it. He looked down - hm - it was back. He really should keep better track of it. Maybe he'd even figure out where it went and why. His thoughts were interrupted as his pop settled into the bath.

"Ah! That's more like it. Nothing like a hot bath, eh boy?" He looked over his son with pride. The boy had washed that ugly red dye out of his hair finally. That last beating must have convinced the boy to quit playing around; they had more important things to do. The boy certainly was turning out to be all he hoped; he had good definition and tone from all the training. A few scars here and there, but that was to be expected. They would also give the boy something to brag about to other guys later in life. Kami knows, Genma bragged enough about his owns scars and how he supposedly came by them. Yes, no problem with that pesky contract he'd made with Nodoka; she wouldn't find anything wrong with his boy.

****

Shan Pu walked through the small Amazon village. Her great-grandmother had sent her for more herbs. She sighed; this was the part of being Great-Grandmother's chosen successor she hated the most. The ten year-old girl appreciated the extra martial arts training, but all these lessons on herbs and such... what possible use would they be? Why did you need a shampoo that made you forget? She followed that thought further... well, if she could use it on Mu Su, maybe it would be worth the trouble. Somehow, she didn't think Great-Grandmother would let her use it on Mu Su, no matter how much he deserved it.

She was so intent on her thoughts, she almost missed the large man barreling down the village street. She was shocked - an outsider male running through the village! Where were the guards? The stranger ran towards the village square and leapt onto one of the large poles used to suspend the challenge log during the village tournament. She had to admit, that was quite a leap for a male. Maybe one of the older village warriors would challenge him. Speaking of which, where _were_ they?

A commotion in the outer part of the village caught her attention. The village guards seemed to be chasing a child about her own age. The strange part was that the child was running on all fours like an animal. How could anyone outrun Amazon warriors on all fours that way? Shan Pu moved closer.

The child bounced from building to building, rebounding from walls, trees, and occasionally off one warrior or another. Upon reaching the village square, the child noticed the fat man atop the pole. It hissed like a cat and swiped with one hand at the pole. Shan Pu face-faulted as the pole fell in several pieces. The child had just sliced through the solid, hardened log as if it were rice paper!

The strange man jumped from the pole just as it was sliced to pieces, then tried to fight the crazed child. The fight was rather one sided - the stranger was being batted around with little effort. It looked like there wouldn't be a chance to find out who this stranger was when a small blur separated the two combatants; the man fell unconscious to one side as Ko Lon faced off against the child.

Ko Lon noticed Shan Pu approaching the square. "Stay back. The child is beyond reach in this state. All we can do is try to drive him off."

She parried several swipes with her staff. Only her ability to channel her qi into it kept it intact. She used the staff to toss the child away; the child rebounded several times between a house, a tree, and one large boulder before arrowing at the shrunken old woman. She waited for the child to close, then gathered her qi into a ball, sending it straight at the child. 'Spirits forgive me.' She thought. 'I can't let the village down again.' The last person trained in the Cat-Fist to come to the village had caused great sorrow before Ko Lon brought him down. She would end this quickly.

Shan Pu stared in shock as her great-grandmother threw the qi attack. She never realized just how powerful the old woman truly was. Then gasped as the child twisted in mid-air to avoid the attack. She stepped back as her great-grandmother gathered her qi for another attack, but held it as the child came flying Shan Pu's way.

"Shan Pu! Run!"

Shan Pu stumbled, unable to get her legs to function as the crazed child came right at her. She opened her mouth to scream, but held it when she realized she wasn't being attacked. The child was rubbing against her legs and - and _purring_ of all things. She reached down hesitantly. "N-n-nice kitty." she rubbed the child's head. The purring got louder and he leaned into the strokes. Shan Pu watched as her great-grandmother carefully approached the pair.

"Stay just where you are child, and don't spook him. I think we might just live through this after all." Ko Lon stopped moving when the child growled at her. Shan Pu continued to pet the boy and he eventually forgot about Ko Lon. She looked closer at the child. The clothes were old and dirty; they had hundreds of small cuts and stains, some being blood and others being fish oil. The boy had only just undergone the Cat-Fist training, she realized. Then looking carefully with her qi, she corrected herself - the _girl_ had only just undergone the training. Being young and dirty, it had been hard to tell exactly which sex the child was, but qi signatures could not be faked and the child's qi was clearly feminine.

Shan Pu slowly sat down; the strange child climbed into her lap and settled down, eventually drifting off to sleep. She spoke softly to her great-grandmother. "Now what do we do?"

Ko Lon gestured to the gathered warriors. "Lock the fool there in a cell." She pointed to the unconscious outsider male. She then approached Shan Pu. "Let the girl sleep. When she awakens, she should be back in her right mind once more." She hugged her great-granddaughter. "I'm glad you are unharmed, but you should not have been here. A Cat-Fist fighter is unpredictable; you could have wound up like the support pole." She gestured to the slices of pole lying nearby.

Shan Pu waved at the sleeping girl. "What is the Cat-Fist? Why is she like this?"

Ko Lon looked upset, something that Shan Pu could not remember seeing before. "It is a martial arts technique that has been banned for hundreds of years. The last time I saw this was decades ago." She was lost in the memories for a moment, then shook herself. "One takes the trainee, wraps them in meat, fish usually, then tosses them into a pit of starving cats." She looked at Shan Pu's shocked face and gave a small nod. "Yes, that is what that fat fool of a man did. It makes one nearly invincible, but completely insane while under it's influence." She frowned. "To do that to a child is an unforgivable crime. The council will need to deliberate on his punishment."

****

Genma woke abruptly and looked around. He appeared to be in a cell. Looking through the bars, he noticed a shriveled old mummy of a woman. He shuddered at her resemblance to The Master. "Where am I, old hag? Why am I in here?" He tried to keep his voice from quivering.

The old woman just smiled, a smile that sent shivers up his spine. She responded in flawless Japanese. "You are a prisoner of the Amazons. If you are the one who trained the child in the Cat-Fist, you are also in a tremendous amount of trouble."

Genma tried to look as innocent as possible - that he did so well was surprising, unless you knew that Genma had many years of practice lying and trying to appear guiltless. "Cat-Fist? What's that?"

Ko Lon laughed. "Don't try that with me. You're a hundred years too young to fool me." Genma shuddered again as she laughed. _Definitely_ like The Master.

"Is - is Ranma okay?"

"_Finally_, some concern for someone else... I take it you are the child's father." Genma nodded. "The child will be fine. _You_ are another matter." Her eyes narrowed. "If I have my way - and I usually do - you will be very _very_ far from fine shortly." She disappeared abruptly.

Genma shuddered again and sat on the floor. Ranma was fine; he knew the boy would be. He now knew the Cat-Fist after all. Genma looked proud for a moment - his boy would be the best martial artist of his generation; after all, his father was the best of his own generation. Genma promptly forgot Ranma as he thought about how to get out of this mess. He had no doubts the old ghoul would do everything she said.

****

Genma stood in front of the Council of Elders; a line of warriors held swords at ready behind him. Ranma sat to the side, watching the proceedings with an anxious look. The old hag was just finishing her narration of the events from the previous day to the council members arranged on either side of her. She spoke to Genma in his own tongue.

"So, Outsider, have you anything you wish to say in your own defense? Not that I think it will make any difference, but you have the chance to beg for your miserable life."

He smiled. His time in the cell had given him the chance to recall the Saotome Forbidden Techniques, and the will to use them. He had no compunction after hearing what was in store for him. "You'll have to catch me first." The assembled people looked confused; they _had_ caught him, right? Genma pulled in his aura and vanished from sight; he grabbed his son and ran. He laughed as he saw the confusion on the warrior's faces. He knew he'd be fine; after all, they were only women. Then he shuddered as he thought of Ko Lon. Best to get well away. Oh well, he was sure things had cooled off in Japan by now anyway.

Back in the Amazon village, Ko Lon was berating herself. She should have known the sneaky bastard would try something like that. By the time she recovered from her surprise and tried looking for the child's and man's qi signatures, they were long gone.

"Spread the patrols as thin as possible. Don't try looking for them directly, check with the locals for anything unusual, such as stolen food."

She sighed as the warriors left. Damn it all! The girl would have been an excellent addition to the tribe. Well, they'd keep looking. No one stayed hidden from the Amazons for long.

****

Genma cursed as he and Ranma prepared to cross back to Japan. Those damn Amazons had been chasing them for the last month. He had no doubt about what they'd do to him if they caught him. He fervently prayed things really had quieted down in Japan as he had no choice but to return to avoid the women warriors. He glanced at his son. At least the boy could take his own pack this time. Genma thought of making the boy take his pack as well - strictly as training of course.

****

Ranma walked along the fence top on his way home from school. At thirteen, his two forms were no longer nearly indistinguishable from each other; he now had a few inches height and reach advantage in his cold water form over his hot water form. His cold water form - that was how he thought of it now. He had figured out what caused the change a couple of years back. His cold water form was also starting to grow larger in certain areas; he wasn't quite sure what to think, but he liked the extra reach, so he spent most of his time in that form. It was fortunate that it _was_ his cold water form as he seemed to be prone to getting splashed: if it rained, he was out without any cover; if the roof leaked, it was over him; if an automatic sprinkler went off, he was standing next to it. That was one of the reasons he stayed up on the fence top - he was less likely to be splashed by passing cars striking puddles. That always irritated him; he could be standing in a crowd of over a dozen people waiting to cross the street and be the only one hit by the spraying water. By staying in his cold water form, he could avoid the funny looks people gave him when he grew several inches when splashed. He remembered the first time his pop had noticed; he had managed to put him off by stating that he had just been slouching before getting splashed. Fortunately, his old man bought it. Ranma wasn't sure how long he could keep it up; if his two forms got any more different, he would have real trouble.

Ranma grimaced as another spasm hit. They had been bothering him for most of the day. He didn't think Pop had hit him that hard in practice. He knew better than to say anything; his pop would yell about what a soft little girl he was becoming and be that much tougher in their next sparring session. Ranma just wanted to curl up and sleep. Pop had got him up at dawn to spar before he left for his part-time job, then these strange muscle spasms had started during school, and now he was feeling queasy. Some rest would take care of it. He reached the apartment complex he and Pop were staying at and went up to their place. He tossed his book bag on the table, went into the bedroom, and stretched out on his futon; in moments, he was asleep.

His pop rattling around in the kitchen woke him. He felt bad; maybe he was getting sick. His head ached, the muscle spasms were worse, and now he was feeling some dampness between his legs. Muttering deprecations at the world in general and his pop specifically, he ducked into the little bathroom. Maybe a bath before dinner would ease the spasms. He slipped out of his clothes, noting that if his chest got any bigger, he'd need to start binding it like the fat kid at school. His muttering got a little darker as he started the bath running.

His pop's voice drifted back to him from the kitchen. "Don't use all the hot water, boy! I need a good soak myself after working hard all day."

Ranma made a few choice comments in a voice Genma couldn't hear, then a little louder. "Yeah, yeah! I hear ya!" He shut off the water and slipped off his boxers. And looked at the blood soaking them. Feeling lightheaded, Ranma slowly reached down between his legs, then looked at his hand.

Genma was dumping the rice into bowls when Ranma yelled from the bathroom. He had heard his son yell before; what made this different was that this yell wasn't pain, or anger, or triumph. It was fear. He dropped the pot on the table and ran for the bathroom, sliding open the door. Ranma stood yelling, looking at a hand coated in blood. All he could see was the blood, then something occurred to him - since when did his son have breasts? And no penis? Genma did the only sensible thing possible, he fainted.

When he came around, he was lying on his futon in the bedroom. Ranma was sitting next to him in a pair of boxers and a tee shirt. It was obvious that the boy had breasts. He sat up and seized Ranma by the shoulders. "What the hell's going on! Why aren't you a boy!"

Ranma blinked. He still looked scared, but he was no longer hysterical like earlier in the bathroom. "Whatta you mean, Pop? I _am_ a boy."

Genma shook his head. "Two months ago at the public bath, you were a boy. You didn't have breasts and you definitely had a - a - you know."

Ranma looked at him blankly, then responded. "Oh! Well, that was my hot water form."

It was Genma's turn to look blank. "What the _hell_ do you mean, 'hot water form'?"

Ranma sighed, disengaged from his pop's hold, and went into the kitchen. He returned with the tea kettle. "My hot water form." He poured the hot tea over his head, shrinking a few inches and losing a few more around the chest. He briefly noticed his muscle spasms ease and the queasy feeling dissipate. Well, _that_ was sure good to know!

Genma looked at him dumbly, then reached out and patted his chest. His eyes rolled up and he passed out again.

When he came around the next time, Ranma was no longer in the room. He jumped to his feet and rushed into the kitchen. Ranma was busy devouring his bowl of rice.

"Hey, Pop. Gonna faint again?"

He drew himself to his full height and confronted his son. "Boy, I want a straight answer! Since when have you been girl!"

Ranma spit out the mouthful of rice he was chewing. "What? I ain't _never_ been a girl!"

Genma put his hand over his face. "When I woke the first time, before you poured the tea over your head. You - were a - a - a _girl_." He could barely bring himself to spit it out.

Ranma looked at him funny. "No way! You always said girls were weak."

Genma looked at him blankly. "So?"

Ranma pulled back a fist and pounded Genma back into the bedroom. "Does that seem _weak_, old man?"

Genma came back into the kitchen. He looked at the boy closely. Sure enough, he was taller and a little larger in the chest again. "Dammit, boy! You're a _girl_ again!"

"What?!"

Genma gestured at him. "The breasts, the lack of - that thing down there." Another gesture, lower this time. "That's a _girl's_ body, not a boy's."

Ranma thought about it a moment. "Wow! That explains a lot."

Genma fought to control his emotions. "How the hell could you not know that?! When the hell did this start?!"

"Well, we ain't never been around girls that much. Been you and me on the road for the last seven years with little time in school. How am I supposed to know things like that?"

Genma slapped a hand back over his face. "Well, what about my second question? When did this start?"

Ranma shrugged. "Beats me."

Genma clenched his fists. "Surely you have some idea? If we are to figure out what happened and straighten it out, we have to know when it occurred."

Ranma shrugged again. "I don't know... maybe - a few years?"

"A few _years_?!!" Genma shrieked. "Ah man! Nodoka's gonna _kill_ me!" He turned back to Ranma. "Was this before or after coming back from China?"

Ranma thought about it. "Before. I definitely remember it _before_ leaving China."

Genma narrowed his eyes. "The old mummy! I _knew_ she was evil, just like The Master. This is her punishment for the Cat-Fist training." He neglected the fact that it was Ranma that was afflicted, only thinking of himself again; in his mind, the old mummy somehow knew what would happen to Genma if Nodoka saw her boy this way. But how was he to handle this? He couldn't confront the old ghoul directly. He knew he was no match for her.

Well, if you can't confront the source, try to treat the symptoms. "So cold water makes you a girl, and hot water changes you back?"

Ranma nodded, back to eating his dinner.

Genma sat quietly, trying to think. It was quite a change and Ranma was impressed; he'd never thought his pop capable of that. Eventually he arrived at a thought.

"If all it takes is hot water to keep you a boy, you should be able to use your ki to heat any water that you come in contact with." He looked proud of his deduction.

"I thought a that after the sessions on ki control I took with the monk at that shrine in Juban. The problem is that there's an awful lot a cold water, and it takes a lotta ki to heat it. I tried it and about passed out after the first few minutes. It's _much_ easier to use my ki to _cool_ the water to stay in my cold water form; hot water naturally wants to cool off, making it that much easier."

Genma thought a moment. "Your cold water form? That's the girl form - _dammit_ boy! I didn't raise you to be a weak little girl -"

Ranma jumped up. His fist flashed and Genma was back in the bedroom again. "Weak little girl?! Who's _weak_, old man?"

Genma came back in the kitchen. "You know what I mean, boy." He gestured at him. "You're a girl right now because you don't have the strength to stay a boy. Well, we'll work on building up that strength so you can stay male longer than just a few minutes." 'And I can stay alive longer than a few minutes.' He thought. 'If I can get the boy to hold his form, no one need ever find out. _Especially_ Nodoka.'

****

Ranma sat under the flow of frigid water from the falls. It was the latest way his pop had come up with for increasing his ki reserves and control. Ranma had to sit under the falls and stay male as long as possible. He was up to over an hour now - far better than the few minutes he could maintain against a simple rainfall two years ago. His pop would never be satisfied; an hour under the deluge of near freezing water was not good enough for him. Ranma had gone along with everything his pop had suggested since finding out about his problem. They sought every temple and training ground the length and breath of Japan seeking ki exercises and techniques. Ranma's exercises, like the one he was doing today, had strengthened his ki reserves to ridiculous proportions. When not trying to use that ki to shield himself from cold water, Ranma had used some of the ki techniques to improve his martial arts. He could use that ki to increase his speed to unheard of levels; unless the rain was coming down in solid sheets, he could actually dodge the rain drops - in fact, it was much easier than trying to use his ki to shield against the cold water. Ranma could complete his complex katas in seconds, and once broke the sound barrier punching a training dummy. The sonic boom had left his ears ringing for an hour. The last temple they had trained at had taught Ranma how to project his ki; he had developed a couple of different ki attacks.

None of this seemed to impress his father as much as the first time he was able to sit under these damn falls for more than an hour; his pop had been making him catch the train out to this area each weekend since they discovered the falls. He sighed as his ki reserves finally gave out and the cold water changed him. The girl that came out from the water was much more clearly feminine than two years ago. Much to Ranma's chagrin, he had developed quite the figure; even _he_ could tell his cold water form was a girl. Not that he minded too much; he had had this body as long as he could remember and was secretly quite proud of it. He had trained in it for years, making it a powerhouse that no man Ranma had ever come across could match, his pop included. Genma gave Ranma plenty of chances and incentive to demonstrate this; he couldn't bring himself to stop ragging on his son anytime he noticed he had changed to his girl form. Except for Genma's incessant nagging, Ranma couldn't see anything wrong with it. Ranma only kept up these idiotic exercises to make his pop happy. He tried to stay male any time he was around his pop, and spent the rest of the time mostly female. It was still much easier to stay female; this also left his ki reserves free for other purposes. Ranma still laughed when he remembered the first time some guy tried to hit on him while he was female. The poor sap lost all control of his bodily functions when the girl he propositioned manifested a ball of energy the size of a beachball. Ranma wouldn't actually use it on a pervert, but the look on their faces when he summoned the power made it all worthwhile. Ranma looked around as he got off the train; the perverts seemed to gravitate to the rail stations.

While he cared little for which form he was in, he still only liked girls. The time he spent in girl form left him confident about his own preferences; he held no concern that he would actually ever think of himself as a girl, despite his body. His pop, on the other hand, seemed to be obsessed; when he wasn't making Ranma engage in another exercise that was supposed to build his ki, he was trying to force his boy onto a date with some hapless girl. This excessive concern over his masculinity was starting to get to Ranma. He suspected some ulterior motive, but had yet to weasel it out of his old man.

Ranma sighed as he walked home. He was still wet and female; he liked to wait until he was home, then use his ki to both dry his clothes and return to male form. He used to change as soon after the exercise as possible, but found he was much more likely to be splashed on the way home if he did. He turned a corner and almost ran into a boy he knew.

"Hey, Ryoga. Having trouble getting home again?"

Ryoga looked over at the girl and blushed. "Um - I, uh, I guess." He laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his head.

Ranma sighed. The boy had it bad. No matter how many times Ranma told him he wasn't interested, the boy still persevered in his efforts to date the elusive girl of his dreams. Ranma hadn't the heart to actually show the boy his problem; he had enough heartache as it was. The boy could get lost going out to check the mail. Ranma ran into Ryoga all over Japan, always while in girl form. At first, he had suspected Ryoga of following him around, but soon learned of his strange family problem. The boy literally hadn't seen either parent in months; the two were always lost themselves. The family dog did a good job of leading them back home, but only if they managed to get within a few blocks of the house.

"Come on. I'll make sure you get home tonight." The boy followed Ranma with a worshipful expression. Ranma sighed again. He couldn't pound on Ryoga because he never forced his attentions. He was simply _there_ any time he turned around.

Ryoga followed her silently for awhile, then noticed the girl was soaked. "Um, Ranma? Why are you all wet?"

Ranma replied without thinking. "I've been sittin' under a waterfall all evening." Then he noticed Ryoga's expression. 'Whoops! Better think of something.' "Um, it's a Shinto ritual. My pop makes me follow a lotta crazy rituals 'cause a all the temples I go to for trainin'." He breathed a sigh of relief as Ryoga nodded. The boy had a tendency to get all spastic if he thought Ranma was being abused in some manner. Ranma didn't need any help, but Ryoga felt it necessary to show his protective urges any time he was around.

A black and white dog appeared, hopping up against Ryoga. The boy bent down to pet the dog. "Good girl, Shirokuro!" Ranma smiled at the display. Ryoga was a nice enough guy. He'd feel guilty if he had to pound the boy for getting fresh. They soon reached his house; Ranma bid him good night and headed home.

****

"We're goin' back to China?! Are you _nuts_, Pop?! I thought the Amazons were after you."

Genma looked at his son. "Well, I've been watching your progress, boy. You still can't stay male for much more than an hour, but you're plenty strong enough to challenge the old ghoul for the cure to your condition." He puffed himself up. "And while we're on the way, I'll teach you the Forbidden Techniques. Between those and your ki attacks and all your training in 'Anything Goes', you'll have no trouble keeping me - er, _us_ safe."

Ranma didn't believe for a moment that Ko Lon was responsible for his condition, but knew better than to argue with his pop. He sighed. "When do we leave?"

****

Ryoga stood at the door to the empty apartment. He was _sure_ that this was where Ranma lived. Was he lost again?

The old lady next door noticed the boy. "They're gone. Left a few days back."

"What?! Where'd they go?" He looked devastated.

The old lady looked at him sympathetically. "I seem to remember hearing something about China."

Ryoga struck a determined posed. "I'll find you, Ranma. Even if I have to follow you halfway around the world." Then promptly headed east toward the Pacific.

****

Genma looked over at his son and frowned. "Why are you a girl, boy?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Well, it takes all my ki to protect against cold water. Do you want me spendin' it all that way, or keepin' your hide intact?"

"When you put it that way..."

****

Ranma couldn't believe how easy the Forbidden Techniques were. With all his training in ki control and manipulation, they were child's play. Naturally, Genma assumed his son's ability to learn the techniques so quickly were due to his training. He was insufferable for days afterwards. The two made good time heading back using the 'Silent Thief' technique. After just a couple weeks, the two found themselves on a hill overlooking the Amazon village.

"Okay, boy. Go down there and get your cure!"

Ranma rolled his eyes, then disappeared. He headed down to the village, but stopped just outside the village proper, and dropped his invisibility. He was in his girl form; with just a little ki, he could stay that way. He remembered this being a village of women warriors and thought they would feel better if he appeared as one too. He casually strolled into the small village, headed toward a house he remembered vaguely from almost six years ago. He made it about halfway there when he spotted a familiar face, framed by some familiar purple hair.

"Shan Pu!"

The girl in question looked at him blankly for a moment, then with mounting recognition. "Ranma?" At the girl's nod, Shan Pu rushed over to embrace her. "It's been so long! We looked for you for a long time. We were sure that horrid man did something awful to you."

"Well, no worse than normal." He smiled at the girl. They had only talked for one evening and the next morning, but had formed an instant friendship. He would try to stay around a bit longer this time, regardless of what his old man wished.

"Come on! Let's go see Great-Grandmother. She'll be so relieved that you are safe."

As they entered the house, Ko Lon looked over to see who was accompanying her great-granddaughter. She took one look at the qi signature and fell off her staff. The strength of the girl's qi was unbelievable! Then she realized that she recognized that signature, one she thought lost years ago. "Ranma?"

Ranma rushed over to give the old woman a hug. "It is great to see you again, Elder Ko Lon."

Ko Lon tried to hold back tears. "And you as well, child. My, you've grown up well." The power rolling off the girl was almost blinding to one who knew what to look for. This time, the girl wasn't going to be taken from them.

"I've never forgotten how well you treated me after that trouble with the Cat-Fist."

"It makes my heart ache to hear you speak so of simple kindness. Was your life always so hard?"

Ranma blinked at that. "Um, it never _seemed_ that way."

Ko Lon's eyes narrowed. "Where is that beast of a father? If you're here, I can't imagine that he's too far behind."

Ranma looked embarrassed. "He's, uh, hiding somewhere nearby. He thinks you're responsible for something he considers a problem and sent me here to confront you." He gave Ko Lon his best, 'what a dolt' look. "Look, I know you don't particularly like him, but he is my father and I do love him. Do you think you can go easy on him? For me?"

Ko Lon looked at the girl and sighed. "Well, if you feel that strongly, we will show him mercy, but he must still face punishment for his actions." She tried to reassure the girl. "I'll make sure it won't bring him too much harm."

Ranma smiled at the old woman. "Thank you. Just don't go _too_ easy on him. He still has much to answer for." He gave Ko Lon a sly look. "Your guards won't be able to see him where he's hiding, but the fat slob has been out there all day without eating, so they should be able to _hear_ him, no trouble."

Ko Lon laughed at this, motioned two guards over, and spoke with them briefly. They hurried away with wide smiles. Time to regain a little lost honor over a past slight.

****

The guards returned later dragging an unconscious man between them. They dragged him to a cell and dumped him unceremoniously inside.

Ko Lon watched dispassionately. "So, we have you again. You won't escape your punishment this time." She nodded to one of the warriors who came up to the cell holding a bucket of water very carefully. The guard splashed the man with the water; this had two effects: first, the man was shocked into consciousness; second, he abruptly changed into a large panda. He looked at his hairy arms in shock, then noticed Ko Lon and backed against the back wall of the cell.

She addressed him in Japanese. "I guess we caught you, didn't we. How do you like your punishment? Seems fitting somehow."

She turned away from the roaring panda and spoke to the guards. "Make sure he stays this time, and keep him away from hot water. Maybe a few weeks as a panda will teach him something.

Genma watched the old mummy leave. Damn it all! Now the old ghoul had cursed him too, just like his son! If they had him, they might have Ranma too. If they did, who knows what they might do to the boy next. He had to escape and save his boy from these awful women.

****

Ranma was in heaven. The last several weeks had been an eye-opener to the boy. The Amazons had adopted him into the tribe; now he had friends and family who actually cared about him, good food on a regular basis, and all the martial arts training he could handle. Ko Lon had taken over Ranma's training and he and Shan Pu sparred regularly. The 'Chestnuts Roasting Over an Open Fire' technique had refined his own ki-enhanced speed, and when the old woman demonstrated the 'Rising Dragon Ascension', Ranma had used his well exercised ability to generate warm and cold auras to duplicate the maneuver without an opponent. Ko Lon had demonstrated several ki exercises that were safer and more reasonable than the ones Ranma had learned under his father.

Ko Lon watched as Ranma helped Shan Pu in one of the ki-building exercises; her great-granddaughter was slowly improving with Ranma's help. If the adopted Amazon had been born here, she would have been the clear choice for taking over as Matriarch after Ko Lon passed on. As it was, the girl was helping push her heir further than she'd been willing to go earlier. A little competition provided all the incentive to improve that she could hope for. Thankfully, Ranma show no indications of wanting the heir's position for herself. Life in the village would have been vastly different if the girl had sought the highest position for herself. Ko Lon did all she could to assure the pair remained friends. With Shan Pu's own abilities backed by a friend of Ranma's abilities, no one would threaten the village for the next generation or two. That could be extended by assuring the pair's children had the proper guidance. Ko Lon sometimes wondered what their children would have been like had Ranma been male; the combination of the two would have borne children of great power. She shrugged internally. Just as well; a male with that kind of power would have been a threat to the matriarchal society.

Ranma left Shan Pu to the exercise and came over to Ko Lon.

"Good afternoon, Great-Grandmother. Is everything all right?"

"Good afternoon, child. Yes, everything is fine." Perhaps now she might try steering the girl the way she wished. A few gentle hints now and hopefully she wouldn't have to worry about Ranma falling for a fool like Mu Su. "Shan Pu seems to be doing better with you here to push her along." Ranma blushed a little at the praise. "Even the men are trying harder; with another beautiful maiden to vie for, they strive to make as good an impression as possible. Paan Keik seems particularly smitten. A girl could definitely do worse; he'll make someone a fine husband."

Ranma went completely pale; he might have been _mostly_ clueless, but not _completely_ clueless. Perhaps it was about time to bring up his condition. He wanted a fine wife, not to _be_ one. He'd tell Shan Pu first; he owed his friend that much.

****

Ranma approached his friend after dinner; he found her on the hill looking out over the lands stretching away from the village. "Hey, Shan Pu. I was talking to Ko Lon earlier; it seemed like she was hinting about who would make a good husband."

Shan Pu gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Great-Grandmother has been dropping hints on me for the last two years. She wishes to be sure I make the proper choice; I wish she'd just trust my judgment." She glanced at her friend. "So now she's started on you?"

Ranma rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Yeah. Um, about that... the guys here are all nice and such, but..." He trailed off, unsure about how to say it.

Shan Pu nodded sadly. "Yes, the men here are not as strong as they used to be. Many of the best leave, unable to accept the role they have to play here."

Ranma stared. "What role?"

"This is a matriarchal society; the women hold the power here." She put a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "While that is good for us, it's not so good for the men. They sometimes rebel at being the ones to take care of the house and family. They cannot accept that the women are the warriors and leaders." She looked over the land before them. "Sometimes, we must venture into the lands beyond to find a suitable husband. Perhaps I shall have to leave to find my husband."

Ranma looked at his hands, unable to look at his friend. Did he want to stay at home and take care of the kids? He liked Shan Pu a lot, but was he ready to give up The Art for her? He had dedicated his life to The Art. To turn from it now was to deny who he was. He suddenly understood the men a lot better. He thought of all they had taught him; would they have done so if they knew he was a guy? Somehow, he didn't think so.

****

For once, Ranma believed he had a good plan. He sought out Ko Lon.

"Honorable elder, I have a request."

Ko Lon looked at the girl closely. She knew it must be big, considering how the normally brash young girl addressed her. "You may ask."

"I have not seen my birth mother in nearly eleven years. I wish to seek for her. She should at least know her child is alive and well."

Ko Lon gave her a knowing look. "And?"

Ranma looked sheepish. "And I am not ready to settle down yet. I am not ready to consider marrying anyone at this time." This was all part of her plan. She could not hope to fool the old woman, so she told her the absolute truth... just not _all_ of the truth.

Ko Lon laughed. "I know child. You and Shan Pu are alike in that respect. I imagine that she will also ask to leave the village for a time. A leader must have many experiences under her belt. Perhaps your leaving will encourage her to take the risk. Remind me later to tell you how I chased a thieving male outsider all the way back to your homeland. I suppose you will want to take the panda with you?"

Ranma nodded. "He has the knowledge I need. Plus, it would make everyone happy to get him out of the village." She took a breath and spelled out the rest of her plan. "It might encourage him to never return if it appeared that we 'escaped.' I pretend to break him out one night, maybe have a few of the trainees chase us a bit - he'll be less likely to bother you later."

"That's a good idea, child. We'll set it up for two nights from now. Tomorrow night, we will have a feast in honor of your journey. You will write us about how it goes?"

Ranma was starting to feel guilty. "Of course, Great-Grandmother."

****

Ranma approached the cell holding a bucket of hot water. Genma was asleep in one corner, still munching on a bamboo stalk - until a stream of hot water awoke him. He was about to retort angrily when he realized he was human again. Ranma hushed him before he could start celebrating.

"We have to go... _quietly_."

He gave his son an angry look. "I thought you had gone native. What changed your mind, boy?"

Ranma shuddered. "They were tryin' to get me to marry some guy."

Genma snickered at Ranma's predicament. "Well, boy. Let's get out of here."

The pair vanished. It would be a long journey back to Japan.

_End Chapter 1_

More author's notes: For the main Chinese characters, I use the katakana forms of their names from Takahashi. These are Shan Puu, Ko Lon, and Muu Su. Long vowels are usually written by doubling the vowel: 'uu' is a long 'u', and 'oo' is a long 'o'; a long 'o' can also be written as 'ou'. This is why you sometimes see Ranma fanfics where the author writes Ryouga instead of Ryoga. While it is technically accurate, the usual convention when Romanizing names is to drop the extra vowel unless it causes confusion. So, Ryouga becomes Ryoga, Shan Puu becomes Shan Pu, and Tookyoo becomes Tokyo. With any word that ends in u, the u is (virtually) silent unless it is a long u; that is why Muu Su really is pronounced mousse. Note that long and short vowels are pronounced the same, only the duration is different; a long vowel is literally longer in duration. One last thing: any time you see 'np', it is actually pronounced 'mp'; sempai is actually spelled senpai, kempo is spelled kenpo, and kampai (cheers or bottoms up) is spelled kanpai. For any more Japanese, go buy a book. 


	2. Stupid Pet Tricks

A Ranma 1/2 alternate universe mini-series. Genma and Ranma go to China after Ukyo's father files charges against Genma for running off with his yatai. A PG rating for language and situations.

This story and a few others can be found on my web page at  
http://www.geocities.com/jlfenton65/  
jlfenton65@yahoo.com  
  
Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. and was created by Rumiko Takahashi.  
This story is of my own derivation and is not intended for commercial purposes, so please don't sue me.  


Author's Notes: Ranma is always referred to in the masculine because he believes himself to be male regardless of his body. You'll just have to keep an eye out for all the references to which form he is currently in. Ranma will also be quite a bit more comfortable with his girl form. He has spent the last ten years with it, and the last couple of months in it nearly all the time.

Last Chapter: In chapter one, Jiro Kuonji decided to file theft charges against Genma when he ran off with his yatai. Genma and Ranma were forced to go to China early where Ranma ends up with his Jusenkyo curse. However, since Ranma is only six, no one realized he had it, especially once Ranma takes to dyeing his hair so that it is black in both forms. After the Cat-Fist training, Genma is chased from China by the angered Amazons. Returning to Japan, Genma and Ranma continue their training trip. When puberty hits Ranma, he can no longer hide his 'condition.' Genma, fearing his wife's reaction, forces Ranma into insane levels of ki training in an effort to hide his condition. Genma believes the Amazons to be responsible for his son's condition, so when Ranma is strong enough, he takes him back to China to confront them. Ranma remembers the Amazons as the only ones to ever show him kindness and sides with them over his father. Genma is punished with a Jusenkyo curse and locked in a cell. Ranma hides his condition from the Amazons and is adopted by the tribe; he trains with Shampoo under Cologne. Eventually, Cologne brings up the subject of Ranma marrying one of the village men. Ranma is understandably upset; he leaves the village with his father under the pretext of seeking his real mother.

Growing Up the Half Way

Chapter 2: Stupid Pet Tricks

by Joe Fenton

A young girl and panda walked along the streets of Nerima. This was only moderately unusual, so most folks only took minor notice of the pair. After all, the girl, while beautiful, was pretty much like most any other girl walking along the streets that day. The one attracting the attention was the panda, especially when it seemed to be conversing with the girl.

The girl took note of the latest sign the panda held.

'Shouldn't you change back now?'

She shook her head. "If I change now, I'll just get splashed between here and your friend's dojo. I'd rather wait 'til we're there." She gave the panda a funny look. It noticed and flipped the sign around.

'What?'

"It still surprises me that you actually have a friend left, Pop; 'specially one with property."

It pulled out another sign. 'Very funny, boy. Just remember.' It flipped it around. 'I want him to meet my _son_, not my _daughter_.'

Ranma rolled his eyes. "You're one to talk, old man. You can't keep from goin' panda for more than a few seconds." He gave the panda a hard stare. "Just remember our deal - I make nice to your old friend and you tell me 'bout Mom."

The panda tried for his best 'you can trust me' look. He noticed Ranma was having none of that and held up a sign as he scratched the back of his head. 'Heh heh heh.'

Ranma sighed and prayed for restraint. His pop was up to something, and knowing Pop, it was going to be hell on him.

****

Soun wept tears of joy as he read the back of the postcard. 'Bringing Ranma from China. Saotome.' He had to tell his family the good news. He hurried to the kitchen.

"Kasumi?" His eldest turned from the stove. "When you have a moment, I'm calling a family meeting." He left after she acknowledged his request.

He climbed the stairs to the girls rooms and knocked at his middle girl's door. "Nabiki? Please come down for a family meeting." He moved down to his youngest's room and knocked on the door. "Akane?" Receiving no response, he pushed open the door. The room was empty. "Where is that girl?"

Nabiki paused behind her father. "I'll go get her, Daddy." She had her camera with her. She went downstairs and out the sliding doors to the dojo; she knew where her little sister would be about now. Sure enough, as she entered the small practice hall, she found her sister preparing to demolish another pile of cinder blocks. She whipped up the camera and shot a few exposures as the girl crushed the pile with a loud yell. "Akane, Daddy has called a family meeting." She looked over her sister, sweaty and covered with cinder block dust. "Is it any wonder the guys all think you're weird?"

The girl wiped her brow and gave her older sister a bored look. "And what do I care about boys? I'll be in after I clean up here." It wouldn't do to leave a mess in the practice hall. It was her responsibility to keep it clean anyway; she was the heir to the family school, even if her father didn't spend as much time on her training as she thought he should. She was the best in Nerima, so she only complained a little about needing more of his time.

****

"_FIANCE_?!!" Akane about lifted the roof with her shout.

The girls were seated around the low table, their father kneeling at the head.

Her father nodded. "Yes. An old friend of mine is coming with his son. We trained together under The Master." The girls shivered as they remembered some of the stories they'd heard. "If one of you girls were to marry his boy and take over the school, the family legacy would be secure."

Akane was shocked. She'd always thought she would be taking over the family school. Now her father was saying that whoever married this boy would be the heir. It seemed this affected her most directly. She voiced her displeasure. "Don't _we_ get any say in who we marry?" The _we_ of course meaning _I_.

Nabiki added her own opinion. "Akane's right, Daddy. How could you engage us to a boy we've never met?" Inside, she started to wonder. Whoever married this boy would inherit the dojo; she had always been slightly jealous that Akane was Daddy's favorite. She had contented herself to causing Akane trouble by stirring up Kuno, who was obsessed with her younger sister. Now, she had a way to slip right past Akane.

Kasumi tried to steer the conversation. "What do you know about this boy, Daddy?" Maybe it would be better than it sounded.

Soun thought a moment. "Well, Ranma and his father just got back from China."

"Wow, China!" Nabiki thought about it; he was apparently well traveled. Maybe he'd picked up some culture that the local boys sorely lacked. If there was one thing Nabiki agreed with Akane about, it was the lack of depth in the local male population.

Kasumi pressed a little harder. "Yes, but what is Ranma like?"

Soun laughed. "No idea."

His daughters looked at him in shock. "No idea?" They echoed.

He shook his head. "I've never met the boy."

Nabiki rolled her eyes as Akane exploded.

"How could you _do_ that to us?! How do you know this boy isn't some - some _pervert_?!"

Everyone else rolled their eyes. They knew how Akane was on _that_ particular subject.

Soun tried to mollify the girls. "Well, he's on his way here. You'll have a chance to see what he's like yourselves."

Kasumi went back in the kitchen, Nabiki went back to her room to change, and Akane went back to sulking.

****

The panda held out a sign. 'Okay, boy. This is the place. Time to change.'

Ranma focused his ki. He had been splashed just before they arrived, as he figured he would be. His clothes started to dry and the warming water shifted him back to his male form. He smiled when he realized his father would have to appear as he was. His fur was too heavy for that trick to work for him with the meager ki abilities he possessed. He would need a kettle and some towels.

Now dry and male, Ranma turned his attention to the place Pop indicated. It was a rather large property surrounded by a large stone boundary wall. The second story of the house showed over the wall. A sign by the front gate proclaimed this the Tendo Dojo, asking challengers to go to the back gate where they could reach the dojo without having to disturb the residents in the house proper.

He opened the gate and stopped in the entryway, dropping his pack and shoes. He knocked on the door. It was answered by a woman a few years his senior, wearing a nice dress protected by an apron. She was wiping her hands on the apron.

"May I help you?"

Ranma gave her an uncertain smile. "I believe we're expected? I'm Ranma Saotome."

The woman looked over Ranma's shoulder, her eyes widening at the sight of the giant panda. She looked startled, then collected herself. "Please, come this way."

She led them into the main room. Two younger girls about Ranma's age were seated by a low table. Their father was standing at the head of the table, starting to move his way. He stopped in front of Ranma.

"You are -?"

Ranma gave a small bow. "Ranma Saotome."

The man wrapped him in a big hug. "It's so good of you to come!" He let the boy go and looked over his shoulder. "Uh, did you get your - pet - in China?"

Ranma laughed at that. "Yeah. My _pet_ could use some hot water." Kasumi moved off to the kitchen.

Soun gave him a questioning look. "So where is Genma?"

"Pop'll be along in a moment. He's just - not himself at the moment." He smirked at the panda.

Kasumi returned with a kettle of hot water and handed it to Ranma. He gave her a small bow, then handed the kettle to the panda. The animal upended it over it's head, the water cascading over it as it changed to a bald man in a baggy old gi. Genma adjusted his gi and glasses, then tied a bandana over his bald head.

"Soun, my old friend! How good to see you again!" His friend was missing. "Hm?" He looked at the floor where Soun lay unconscious.

****

Ranma left his pop watching over his old friend. He knelt by the table with the three girls. The oldest seemed to be completely uninterested, though she made an effort to be a good hostess. Ranma sipped at the cup of tea she provided. The middle girl seemed almost predatory, looking at him in a way he'd only ever seen guys look at his girl form. Despite how nice she looked in a kimono, her expression unnerved him. He turned his attention to the youngest; she kept giving him angry glares. She was unkempt and dirty from a recent workout, still being dressed in a gi. He ignored this as he was used to the condition from all his training. People used to give him a wide berth when he hadn't the chance to bathe for a few days on their training trip. He _tried_ to ignore the glares. Why was she looking at him that way? Maybe she was familiar with his pop? He only ever got glares like that when people assumed he was like his old man.

"So, I hear you have a dojo?" He tried to make polite conversation.

The youngest gave him an evil grin. "Yes. Maybe you'd like to spar? I understand you've been training."

Hm, he'd seen _that_ look, too. It said, 'I'm gonna pound you into mush.' He sighed and nodded. The girl jumped up and stomped out the side door leading to the dojo. Her sister followed. The oldest just smiled and motioned him to follow her sisters.

He followed the two girls into the dojo, then bowed to the wall shrine and assumed a ready stance. The youngest assumed her own stance as the middle sister gave the signal.

"Begin!"

The girl punched at him. He side-stepped the slow punch and struck with his own. The fist caught the girl in the shoulder, spinning her to the floor. Ranma blinked at his quick win.

Nabiki smiled as Akane slowly got to her feet. She could tell her little sister was smoldering. As Akane assumed a ready stance once again, Nabiki gave the signal.

This time, Ranma stepped in so fast, neither girl saw him move. A blow to the stomach took away Akane's breath and a second later, a quick leg sweep took her legs out from under her. Ranma backed off.

Nabiki was almost drooling. Ranma was handsome and made Akane look like a rank amateur. She lost herself in thoughts of what she could do with Ranma and the dojo.

Akane was almost in tears. What was going on? She was losing! To a _boy_! She was the best! She couldn't lose... didn't dare lose.

Ranma noticed her reaction... he had gone too far, totally humiliating the girl in her own dojo; he needed to adjust his level. The girl wasn't anywhere near the level he was used to, and she wouldn't get any better with him just dumping her on her butt every round. He moved back into a ready stance. The girl hesitated, then faced him once more.

This time he blocked her punch, and the next, then used his leg to block a kick. He tested her defenses with a couple of punches that he figured she should just be able to handle. She blocked them with a shocked look. He raised the level a little more, forcing the girl to move a little quicker and retreat slightly. He tried to treat the girl the way he treated the Amazons he had fought; of course, the Amazons were _well_ above this girl's level.

Nabiki smirked as she watched the fight. Ranma had clearly dropped the intensity of his attacks, but was still easily pushing Akane around.

Akane blinked at the change. What was he doing? She couldn't touch him in the previous two rounds; now she was matching him blow for blow. He was still getting through every now and then, but she was still standing. He kept tagging her on the left after her left jab, kick combination; she adjusted to cover it. Was that a smile she saw? What was going on? Ranma backed off and halted the match with a slight bow. She backed off with a confused look.

"That was a good match. You have potential; you just need someone to spar with more."

"I don't understand. You could have taken me out at any time. You did in the first two rounds."

"I'm, uh, sorry - about the first couple a rounds." He really did look embarrassed about it. "I guess I'm just used to fightin' at a higher level."

Nabiki walked over. "Why don't you give us a demonstration of the level you're used to fighting at."

Ranma looked at Akane, who nodded. The two girls moved to the wall to give him space. He summoned his ki, wrapping it around him. He launched into one of his higher level katas. He moved around the dojo, blurring from one form to the next; individual motions were indistinguishable. There was a slight thump as Nabiki fell over in shock. Both girls stared in awe. There was no way a person could move that fast.

Akane couldn't blink; if she did, she'd miss something. She would do anything to have his skills. This was what she aspired to, what her father had never delivered in his training. She felt an equal measure of longing and jealousy. He _hadn't_ been showing off in the first two rounds, he'd actually been holding back!

Nabiki picked herself up off the floor. This was unbelievable! Well, maybe not, considering that they saw a panda turn into a person earlier. She had to find out more, and fast. As Ranma finished his kata, she tried to seem nonchalant. "So, Ranma. Tell us about the panda-man."

Ranma laughed nervously. "Oh! That. Well, Pop got this curse in China. See, back when I was ten, while trainin' me using a forbidden technique, we kinda stumbled into a Chinese Amazon village. When they found out what Pop had done, they tried to punish him. He escaped and we came back to Japan. We later went back and they managed to hold him long enough to give him the curse."

"I see." Nabiki said; but Ranma could tell she didn't. "What was this forbidden technique he used that got him in trouble?"

"He wrapped me up in fish sausage and threw me inna pit full a starving c-c-cats... several times." Both girls stared.

Nabiki gave him an indecipherable look. "I think they went easy on him."

Ranma nodded. "I asked them to. It wasn't their first choice."

Nabiki shook her head. "I wouldn't have been so forgiving. Just what is the deal with this curse?"

"Cold water changes him into a panda. Hot water changes him back." Ranma thought about this, probably for the first time. His pop's curse sounded very much like his own. So did that mean that the Amazons gave him his curse? No, they didn't know he changed. So maybe it was someone who also knew about the curses; Ko Lon would probably know who they were. But, then he'd have to tell Ko Lon about his curse - and he _knew_ what the Amazons thought of men. He shook his head. All this thinking was giving him a headache.

Nabiki looked at her sister. Akane still seemed out of it. After the demonstration Ranma put on, she could well believe it. Poor little sister just found herself so outclassed in fighting that she might as well not even be trained. She tried to think of how to work Ranma into what was happening at Furinkan. She'd have to think about it tonight and be ready for tomorrow morning's brawl.

She gestured back toward the house. "Dinner will be ready soon. We should probably go back inside, and you two need a bath."

****

An hour later, everyone was around the table once more. Soun knelt at the head, Genma and Ranma on one side, with the three sisters opposite them. Soun started the formal introductions.

"This is my old friend Genma Saotome." He gestured to the bald man. "And his son, Ranma." The two bowed to their hosts. Soun gestured to the girls. "These are my daughters. Kasumi is nineteen." He indicated the oldest. "Nabiki, who is seventeen." He moved to the middle girl. "And my youngest, Akane, sixteen." He stopped at the youngest. Ranma noticed how nicely she cleaned up. Soun continued. "Pick one and she'll be your finacée."

Ranma face-faulted. He stood up shakily and motioned to his father. "Pop, I need to speak to you a sec." The pair stepped out onto the porch. Ranma grabbed Genma by the collar of his gi. "What the _hell_ is that all about?! I left China 'cause I didn't wanna get married!"

Genma summoned all his dignity. "You left China because you didn't want to marry a _guy_. This is a marriage to a girl. I thought you liked girls."

Ranma turned red. "Of _course_ I do! The point is, I'm not ready for marriage, and when I am, _I_ wanna choose who I marry."

Genma struck a stoic pose. "Ranma, this is about Family Honor." Ranma could hear the capital letters. "Soun and I swore on our families honor to join our two houses in marriage. It is your duty as a Martial Artist to uphold the family honor and marry one of Soun's daughters."

Ranma stared him down. "And what about my 'condition?' If they're expected to marry me, they need to know about it."

Genma gave a sharp nod. "All right, but you _will_ do this. There is no way you can see your mother until you are safely married."

Ranma boggled at this. What's being married got to do with seeing Mom? His suspicions only got stronger. He _really_ needed to find out why his pop was hiding him from Mom.

The two reentered the house, interrupting an argument that seemed to be almost as intense as his own had been. Ranma was sure the girls wanted this marriage as little as he did. They probably just got the 'Family Honor' speech from _their_ father.

Genma spoke to Soun. "The boy has agreed." Soun looked ecstatic, while Akane glared at Ranma. Ranma in turn glared at his pop. Genma continued. "But first, there is something we feel you should know. You have seen the curse I am under." They all nodded. "Well, Ranma was afflicted with one as well by the accursed Amazons."

Ranma retorted angrily. "The Amazons had nothin' to do with my condition!"

The Tendos looked at the boy in dreaded fascination. Nabiki spoke for them all. "And what exactly do you turn into?"

Ranma opened his mouth but never got the chance to say anything as his pop grabbed him by the collar and tossed him out of the house into the koi pond beside it.

Everyone held their breath as they waited to see what surfaced. A shorter, well-endowed girl climbed from the pond, dripping water. Her aura flared as she returned to the house and grabbed Genma by the collar.

"Excuse us, but me and the panda gotta _talk_." He dragged his pop from the house and the two starting fighting beside the koi pond. The man took an awful beating before being dunked in the pond. The girl continued her fight with the panda. The residents of the house watched in amazement at the martial arts prowess exhibited by the animal. It was still taking a pounding, but it was amazing none the less.

Kasumi broke the stunned silence. "Daddy? Why are you friends with them?"

Soun shook his head sadly. "They weren't always like this. Their trip to China changed them both."

Nabiki quickly readjusted her decision concerning the engagement. Ranma was still prime material, but as an in-law, not a husband. She met Kasumi's gaze and a moment of brief understanding passed between them.

When the girl came back dragging an unconscious panda, the two stepped to either side of Akane. Nabiki spoke first. "Akane is perfect for this!"

This broke Akane out of her shocked state. "What?! Why me?!"

Kasumi added gently from her side. "Well, you're the martial artist in the family, and the same age. With similar interests and goals, you two are perfect for each other."

Nabiki couldn't help but add. "And with your problem with boys, he's just what you've been looking for."

Akane turned red and yelled at her sister. "Just what the hell does _that_ mean?!"

Soun broke up the argument. "Enough!" He looked at Ranma. "You change back with hot water too?"

Ranma nodded, then concentrated a moment. One moment, he was a soaked girl, the next he was a dry boy. Everyone blinked. Ranma anticipated their question.

"I used my ki to dry my clothes and warm the water on me hot enough to change back. I can use it in a similar manner to stay male, but only for about an hour of continuous exposure to cold water. That's how I developed most a my ki. I can also use my ki to _cool_ the water and stay female. That's much easier, so I can do that almost indefinitely."

Soun blinked, then draped an arm across his shoulders. "Well then, your problem isn't so bad. It is decided - you and Akane are engaged."

Akane was understandably upset. "What?! I never agreed to this!"

Soun faced his youngest. "Akane, this is for the best. You are my heir and you are both the same age. The Family Honor rests on one of you marrying Genma's son. Of the three of you girls, you are the best for this. Please, Akane, do this for me."

She looked him in the eye for a moment, then caved in. "Yes, Daddy." She slumped to a seat at the table. Her sisters looked with a little guilt at their dejected sister, but there really wasn't any other choice in the matter.

****

Nabiki awoke to shouts and dull thuds that coincided with a quivering in the house that she hadn't felt since the last earthquake. With a groan, she rolled out of bed and went to her window. Yep, the girl and panda were at it again. Why couldn't they use the dojo like sensible folk? It was on the other side of the house for a reason - namely, so the occupants of the bedrooms wouldn't be disturbed in just this manner. Besides, the koi pond was on this side. She guessed they really didn't care what form they were in while fighting. Just that moment, her question about why they weren't in the dojo was answered - both fighters leapt into the air in a jump that would have taken them through the roof in the practice hall. 'What the _hell_? How can anyone jump that high?' She blinked. 'Gotta still be asleep.' The pair started exchanging blows in mid-air; the panda took a roundhouse kick that launched it into the pond hard enough to splash water as high as the window Nabiki was standing at. She shrugged and went downstairs. She'd never get back to sleep. Might as well get some coffee and wait for breakfast.

Nabiki trudged into the kitchen; she watched Kasumi humming about the kitchen awhile, then moved to the coffee pot. She poured a cup and moved off, sitting down at the table beside Akane. She saw the look of jealousy on the girl's face as the pair of martial artists visible through the sliding doors leapt about the yard exchanging blows.

"Wonder-girl and her amazing magic panda wake you too?"

Akane frowned at her older sibling. "You know very well that I jog every morning. You're the only one that sleeps in late around here."

She just sipped her coffee. "Well, I don't think anyone will be sleeping in late anymore with that pair around."

Kasumi brought in bowls of miso soup. "Aren't they just full of pep this morning? You really should learn to enjoy the mornings more, Nabiki." She went back into the kitchen for the rice and pickles.

Nabiki set down her coffee cup so she could pick up her bowl of soup. She took a sip from it. "Excellent, as usual." She complimented her older sister as she returned with more bowls. Kasumi smiled and went to the open doors.

"Ranma! Mr. Saotome! Breakfast is ready."

Ranma broke off a sequence of combination strikes Nabiki hadn't seen outside a video game. Kasumi stepped neatly to the side as the girl zipped past her to the table. Ranma picked up a pair of chopsticks and neatly started on his breakfast. He just smirked as the panda moved off toward the bathroom to change back. He noticed Nabiki and Akane staring.

"Somethin' the matter?"

Akane answered. "Well, considering your upbringing and lack of manners elsewhere, I'm surprised at your table manners."

Nabiki snorted at the indelicate way her sister had of stating the manner, even if it was accurate.

Ranma just nodded. "I used to eat like a pig, but got outta the habit at the Amazon village. Pop an me used to fight over meals, but I'm _way_ outta his league now, so he leaves me alone at meals - mostly."

Akane frowned. "Why are you still a girl?"

Ranma looked surprised. "Well, it really doesn't matter to me. I just kinda ignore whatever form I happen to be in unless Pop gets to naggin' 'bout what weak little girl I am."

Akane's complexion darkened. "_Weak little girl_?!"

Ranma nodded, oblivious to the other girl's mood. "Yeah. Pop kinda has weird ideas 'bout women. He says they distract from The Art, that they're weak and stupid." He shrugged. "Stuff like that. Been hearin' it all my life. I just learned to ignore him unless it's 'bout martial arts."

Nabiki studied her boiling sister, then addressed the pig-tailed girl. "You don't actually believe any of that, do you?"

"Nah. I never really thought about it until I learned that I was actually changing into a girl. _I_ knew I wasn't weak or stupid, so I just figured it was just another thing he was wrong about." He smiled. "Good thing Pop was a panda mosta the time we were with the Amazons; saying things like that woulda got him in a lotta trouble. Well, more than he was in already."

Genma sat at the table opposite his son. "Why are still a girl, boy? You want to be a weak little girl, maybe you should just wear a dress and practice putting on makeup." He failed to see the ire of the youngest Tendo girl, that is, until her fist caught him in the chin, blasting him through the open doors and back into the koi pond.

Ranma nodded in appreciation. "Nice punch, Akane."

Akane's anger died at the compliment; she reddened in embarrassment. "Uh, thanks."

Nabiki watched the panda move back towards the bathroom again. "So, when did you figure out you were changing into a girl? That is, if you don't mind telling us." She nodded to Kasumi as the older girl finally joined them for breakfast.

Ranma laughed in embarrassment. "Not at all; it's just a little - embarrassing. 'Bout three years ago, I got my first period. I was so shocked at all the blood, I kinda freaked thinkin' I was injured or somethin'. Pop busted into the bathroom, then passed out when he gotta look at me. After he came to, he explained the difference 'tween boys and girls."

Akane had bit the ends off her chopsticks. Nabiki's coffee cup wobbled until Kasumi took it from her.

Kasumi looked at the girl in concern. "You get periods, Ranma?"

Ranma nodded. "If I stay a girl long enough. Happened a couple a times."

Nabiki recovered enough to snicker. "I can just imagine the panda trying to explain _that_ to you."

"Oh, he didn't. He just explained that this form was a girl. I had to find the rest out myself."

Kasumi maintained her concerned look. "Well, we'll just have to remedy that. There's no telling what trouble you could into just from not knowing what it is to be a girl. I'll borrow a couple of books from Dr. Tofu and we can go through them."

Nabiki tried hard not to laugh. She didn't want to be around when Kasumi had _that_ little conversation with their guest... scratch that, she _did_ want to be around, just outside the room and with her camera ready.

She stood from the table. "Well, I have to go get ready for school. I need to go in early today, so Akane will show you the way when you're ready." She walked off toward the stairs.

Ranma looked shocked. "School? Do I haveta go to school?"

Kasumi gave her a stern look. "Yes, Ranma. You need a decent education. You're already registered at Furinkan, the school Akane and Nabiki attend."

Ranma shook his head. "But I don't have any supplies." A book bag hit him in the head as Genma reentered the room.

"You're going to school, boy. And change back to your male form! I won't have anyone thinking my boy is some simpering girl..." He continued to drone on the deficiencies of the female gender.

Ranma gave Akane a pleading look as the girl stood to pound the elder Saotome. She frowned, then sat with reluctance.

****

Akane frowned at Ranma as the boy walked along the top of the fence. Ranma noticed the look.

"What?"

"Why are you up there?"

Ranma thought a moment. "It use to be for balance practice. I ain't needed that in years. Now I just do it 'cause it keeps me outta reach a most splashes."

Akane gave him a skeptical look. "Come on, you can't tell me that your curse makes you prone to getting splashed. It just _seems_ that way because you notice the effect more. Come down here before people think you're weird."

Ranma shrugged, then jumped into the air. He did two somersaults with a full twist, landing expertly. Akane scowled at him.

"Show off!" She blinked. Where the boy had stood, there was now a shorter, black haired girl, water dripping off her face. Akane looked over where an elderly woman went through the morning ritual water cleansing before business started.

Ranma started down the street with a sigh. "You were saying?"

Akane watched the girl for a second the hurried after her. "Aren't you going to change back?"

Ranma shook his head. "Not until we reach the school. I'm less likely to get splashed again that way."

Akane gave him a look. "Well, when we get there, just keep out of my way. We don't know each other while we're at school."

Ranma shrugged. "If that's the way you want it."

****

Nabiki walked through the gates of Furinkan High School. The athletic clubs were already gathering for the coming fight. Kuno would be around somewhere, waiting until Akane finished with the 'common rabble' as he put it. She found him just outside the building proper.

"Just the guy I needed to see."

Tatewaki broke off his conversation with the captain of the baseball team. He frowned at the girl. "Tendo-san. To what do I owe this visit?"

Nabiki gave him a grin that would have made a shark proud. "You mean, what do you owe me for my visit. I happen to have information about Dear Akane that I believe you will want to hear - say, ten thousand yen?"

Kuno looked at her with disdain. "And just what could be worth so much, even be it about my beloved?"

Her grin widened into a smile. "Well, when Akane shows up this morning, she'll be with a boy." She looked at him expectantly. She wasn't disappointed.

Kuno had an expression that was equal parts shock and anger. He pulled out his wallet and passed Nabiki ten, one thousand yen notes.

Nabiki made a point of counting the money first. "Yesterday, an old friend of our father returned with his son from a training trip. They decided that he and Akane would be engaged."

Kuno erupted in rage. "ENGAGED?!!! NEVER!!! I, TATEWAKI KUNO, WILL NEVER PERMIT THIS TRAVESTY!!!"

Nabiki kept smiling. "Well, Kuno baby, I suggest you challenge the boy. You know, show him who's best for Akane. That is, unless you're giving up on my sister..."

"NEVER!!! If you will excuse me, Tendo-san, I must get prepared that I might challenge this insolent upstart. No one comes between me and my fierce tigress." He hurried off the change into his kendo outfit.

Nabiki motioned to her associates. She needed to make sure they understood how this morning's bets were to be placed.

****

Akane sighed as they neared the school. She needed to explain a few things to Ranma before they reached the school.

"When we reach the school, some boys are going to attack me. I can handle it myself, so I don't want you interfering." She awaited the inevitable posturing another boy would do in his place.

Ranma nodded. "Okay."

Akane nearly fell over. "What? You're not going to try to interfere? Not try to prove your manhood by protecting the poor little girl?"

Ranma looked puzzled. "Didn't you just ask me not to? Besides, you seem plenty able to handle most folks. You know, I didn't realize other places followed Amazon practices."

Now it was Akane's turn to look puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the Amazons usually challenge their intended spouses to combat. Sometimes an Amazon might throw a fight if they're in love, but most just tend to wait 'til they're beaten." He gave her an appraising look. "I'd a never figured you to go for that sorta thing."

Akane bristled. "I _don't_!! This jerk in Nabiki's class started the whole thing. At the beginning of the year, he tried to get me to date him, but I turned him down flat." She pounded a fist into her hand, leaving Ranma with no doubt as to _how_ she turned the guy down. "The next day, he makes this announcement to the whole school that no one can date me unless they first beat me. I was so embarrassed. Now every morning, about thirty boys from the different athletic clubs try to defeat me." She scowled. "Even the chemistry club tried to beat me once by making some land mines. I've tried to convince them to stop, but Kuno won't allow it. Since he's the best fighter in school, besides me, they go along with whatever he tells them."

Ranma looked thoughtful. "Well, I guess it really isn't like the Amazons then. Since it ain't, I'll stay outta it unless you're havin' trouble." He noticed the irritated look she sported. "If you run inta trouble, I'll haveta interfere or our folks will get on my case. That makes it my business at that point." He tried to divert her train of thought. "But I can see why so many guys challenge you. You're awful cute when you smile."

Akane stumbled before catching herself. She looked at the red-headed girl lightly walking next to her. What could she say to that?

She reddened slightly. "Uh... thanks. Maybe you should change back now?" She tried to turn the tables on the boy. "Unless you plan to attend as a girl. You did say that it was easier to stay a girl than a boy; maybe you should."

Ranma thought it over. "Well, I _could_, but I figured you'd have a problem with it."

She pressed him. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, we'd probably be in the same phys-ed class. I kinda figured you would have a problem showering afterwards, knowing I'm a guy and all."

Akane sweated and nodded nervously. "Right... bad idea. Forget I said anything."

"No problem. It's just that, I've attended as a girl before. It _is_ easier than trying to stay male all day."

Akane stumbled again. "What?! When did you attend school as a girl?!"

Ranma didn't notice. "Oh, 'bout a year ago. I wasn't makin' any effort to stay male unless Pop was around. It just makes no difference to me since I've been this way long as I can remember. Problem was, I was attendin' a boy's school at the time. Well, my figure was fillin' out an I couldn't hide it any longer. The school made a big fuss and transferred me to a girl's school. Pop threw a fit! The girls were all really nice, much nicer than the guys at the boy's school." He grimaced. "'Cept this one girl. She was crazy... always runnin' around in a black leotard - and the black flowers!" He shivered. "Hope I never run inta her again."

Akane could only stare. "Uh, her name wouldn't have been Kodachi, would it?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah! That's it. We'd all call her Dachi-chan when we wanted to yank her chain."

Akane was irritated at how cute she looked with her pig-tail bouncing. She really shouldn't be noticing things like that. "Well, her brother is the jerk making trouble for me at school. He's just as crazy as his sister."

Ranma groaned. "Well, I better not appear at school as a girl if I can help it. He might recognize me from her description - I'm sure she probably mentioned the 'pig-tailed peasant' to him." At that, he shifted back to male form, the clothes drying around him. He wasn't looking forward to the strain of trying to stay that way. As long as he wasn't in contact with water, it didn't drain any ki, but the strain of keeping his ki ready to use at the levels needed to heat water gave him a headache and left him exhausted after several hours. He'd probably have to spend most of the evening recovering, more than likely in his girl form.

Akane tried to process all this information. "Wait. You attended a girl's school as a girl? You do - uh - _like_ girls, don't you?"

Ranma snorted. "Of course! I'm a guy."

Akane tried to hold her temper. "Doesn't that make you a pervert?! How could you do that to those girls?!"

Ranma looked clueless. "But, I was a girl at the time. Heck, I'm a girl most a the time. How's it any different than being a boy who like boys and still attendin' a boy's school? I met a few before I got transferred." He reddened. "For that matter, I got asked out more at the girl's school than anywhere else I been."

Akane's head swam. It was too much. Ranma _did_ have a point; she'd been asked out by a girl at her school who thought she leaned that way after seeing the morning fights. Was that girl a pervert? Was Ranma? Did it matter? She shook her head and tried to get ready for the fight. She couldn't afford to be distracted. She started her mantra as they neared the school gates, concentrating on the fight.

"I hate boys... I Hate Boys... I HATE BOYS!!!"

She charged through the gates and plowed into the group of boys waiting there.

Ranma hopped to the top of the wall to observe the fight. He wasn't really interested in the boys - none of them had any strength or skill to speak of, even the ones wearing a gi. He was interested in the girl who was, at least in name, his fiancée. He watched her ki flow as she took down her opponents. Wow! She was close to manifesting a visible aura; with her level of training, it was astonishing! He shook his head. He'd have to see if he couldn't fix that; the more he saw, the more convinced he was that she could be a real force to reckon with.

He hopped off the wall as she finished the last opponent. "That was great! Did you realize, you're making unconscious use a your ki while you fight?"

Akane mopped her brow. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I think I can show you how to make conscious use of it pretty quick. What with all the ki trainin' I've had, it's pretty obvious that you gotta knack for it yourself. A few a the exercises I learned and a bit a training and you'll probably be able to project your ki like I can."

She stared at the boy. "You can project your ki?"

Ranma was interrupted as Kuno came out from behind a tree.

"So, this is the vile cur who dares call himself fiancé to my fierce and beauteous Akane."

Kuno's words spread like wildfire around the schoolyard. Boys and girls alike popped up from nowhere.

"What?! Akane's engaged?!"

"Akane, we thought you hated boys!"

Akane looked around frantically. "No! We're not!"

Ranma was embarrassed. "Our parents arranged it!"

Kuno bellowed. "SILENCE!" He glared at the gathered students, then returned to Ranma. "You will renounce any association with my beloved and slink back to the slime forthwith." He drew his bokken.

Ranma looked at Akane. "Is he challenging me?"

Akane nodded.

Ranma looked back at the older boy. "I am Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, and I accept your challenge!" He tossed his book bag to Akane.

Kuno nodded. "Very well. Know that I am Tatewaki Kuno, seventeen, junior class, captain of the Kendo Club, also known as 'The Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High!" He brandished his bokken as a clap of thunder was heard.

Up on the second floor, Nabiki and her associates watched from a window. One turned to her.

"Did you know that? I thought he was calling himself 'The Shooting Star'?"

Nabiki shrugged. "It's news to me. Are you sure you set the odds like I specified?"

The other girls nodded. One hesitantly spoke up. "I hope you're right about this new boy or we'll be wiped out."

Nabiki just grinned.

Down below, Kuno lashed out with his bokken. Ranma easily dodged the stroke. Kuno frowned and continued to strike at the boy. Ranma just kept dodging. Off to one side, Akane frowned and looked at the clock on the school's tower.

"Quit playing with him Ranma! We'll be late to class!"

Ranma nodded. It also looked like it would rain at any moment. He dropped his concentration on maintaining his gender and summoned his ki. He was instantly a blur that surrounded Tatewaki. The older boy stood upright a moment, then fell over unconscious. Ranma kept his speed up as he dodged the rain drops that were irregularly falling. Time to get inside. He sped to Akane, picked up his fiancée, then dashed for the building. He set her down just inside the doorway as the rain started to fall in sheets. He returned his concentration back to maintaining his gender. "Whew! Just made it."

Akane hit him in the back of the head with his book bag. "What the heck did you think you were doing?!"

Ranma picked up his book bag. He gestured at the rain. "Keeping you from getting soaked?"

Akane rolled her eyes and stomped off. There was no way she would admit needing his help. It was bad enough Kuno had let out word of their engagement; now he had been seen carrying her. She gritted her teeth. She could hear the comments already.

****

Nabiki sat on the teacher's desk in her homeroom. Kuno, awakened by the rain, had changed into a boy's uniform and stood next to her, looking at his forehead in the mirror of her compact. The two kanji characters for idiot were visible as bruises.

"When did the vile miscreant perpetrate such heinous actions on my person?" He snorted. "He is the true idiot, for the kanji is written thusly!" He made some strokes on the blackboard.

Nabiki eased off the desk and stood next to him. "No, Kuno baby. It's actually spelled like this." She made her own pair of kanji characters on the blackboard.

Kuno glared at the shorter girl. "I despise you."

Nabiki smiled. "You don't know how happy that makes me."

****

Ranma stood in front of the class. Akane sat at her desk, glaring at the boy. He sighed.

The teacher cleared his throat, trying to get the class to come to order. "You might have noticed that we have a new student. Please give him your attention."

Ranma bowed to the class. "I am Ranma Saotome." He wrote his name in kanji on the blackboard behind him. "I just returned to Nerima from a trip to China. I am currently staying at the Tendo Dojo." There was a sharp intake of breaths at that.

The teacher cleared his throat again. "There will be time for talking later." He addressed Ranma. "There is an empty seat by the window. You will need to get a school uniform, Mr. Saotome."

Ranma nodded and moved to the indicated seat. He hadn't opened a book before the first note appeared on his desk. Ranma glanced at the single line.

'Are you and Akane really engaged?'

Ranma considered his answer, then wrote. 'Our fathers swore on the family honor to join the families in marriage. Since I am an only child, it fell to me to carry our end. Akane's father decided she would carry their end of the agreement.' He looked it over; it seemed a safe enough answer.

He hadn't passed back the first note before getting another. He sighed; hopefully, this wouldn't happen all morning. He glanced over at Akane; she was writing an answer to a note herself. He looked back at the note.

'Are you really a wild horse?'

He blinked and reread the note. It didn't make any sense; he knew an Amazon who was cursed to become a stallion when splashed, but he didn't think that was what the note was asking.

'No, I'm pretty sure I'm just a guy.' He folded the note and passed it back.

A moment later, there was a titter of laughter behind him. He craned his neck trying to ascertain who had sent the note.

"Mr. Saotome!"

Ranma returned his attention to the teacher. "Sir?"

"Are you paying attention, Mr. Saotome?"

"Uh... no sir."

The laughter was a little more wide-spread.

The teacher sighed. "Take the buckets and stand in the hall."

****

Ranma followed Akane outside at lunch-time. She sat by one of the trees, then sighed as Ranma sat next to her. It really didn't matter anymore; everyone knew before school even started. She knew a certain sister who would find herself in _big_ trouble after school.

There was one thing she was curious about. "What was on that note this morning that got you sent to the hall?"

Ranma paused while eating. "Someone wanted to know if I was a horse." He frowned. "Do you think they meant my curse? But if they knew about it, they should know I become girl, not a horse."

Akane reddened and stared at her fiancé. He couldn't possibly be that dense... then again, this was also the boy who went to a girl's school once and didn't see the problem. She shook her head; best just to get him off the subject. If he couldn't figure it out, she wasn't about to explain it to him. "Ranma? When the teacher asks if you're paying attention, you say _yes_."

Ranma nodded as he went back to his lunch.

Akane spotted her friends and waved to attract their attention. The two girls walked over and sat on the opposite side of Akane, away from Ranma.

The girl with shorter, light brown hair addressed Akane. "So, are you going to introduce us to your fiancé?"

Akane scowled at her. She waved an arm toward the girl. "Ranma, this is one of my friends, Yuka." She gestured to the girl with dark brown hair in a ponytail. "This is another friend of mine, Sayuri. Girls, this is Ranma Saotome, and we're _not_ getting married! Our dads decided that, not me!"

Yuka looked at Sayuri, then back at Akane. "Do you think he decided to arrange a marriage for you because he thinks you're -"

Akane jumped to her feet and covered her mouth. "NO!!" She removed her hand and gave Yuka an apologetic look. "We're both the same age and both martial artists. They thought we had more in common than Ranma and either Nabiki or Kasumi."

Sayuri looked thoughtful. "Well, they do have a point there. You two do seem to be the best match. It also takes care of that problem of you hating boys, too." Akane growled at her friend.

Ranma watched the interplay with interest while eating.

Yuka nodded at Sayuri's comments, then turned to Ranma. "Speaking of which, how did you beat Kuno? You were nothing but a blur!"

Ranma looked smug. "Well, I -"

"Used _Black Magic_!" Tatewaki interrupted. "Only magic most foul could have precipitated the conclusion to my challenge!" He pointed his bokken at Ranma. "I challenge you to fight fairly, varlet!"

Ranma rolled his eyes, then addressed Yuka, pretending Kuno hadn't interrupted. "I used my ki to enhance my speed. Akane here did the same thing when she fought those guys this morning, just not to the same degree."

Sayuri looked between the martial artists. "Really? Can you demonstrate it for us?"

Ranma glanced at Akane. "Well..."

Kuno broke in once more. "If the charming damsels wish a demonstration of ki, the Blue Thunder will be only too happy to oblige."

Ranma ignored the teen again. He addressed the girls. "Well, first you build your ki in the Lower Dan Tian, as the Chinese call it; it's a spot just below your navel, in the center of your gut. You do this by proper breathin' exercises. You then lead the ki to the limbs through concentration and trainin'; this strengthens and speeds your blows. When you work at it long enough, the ki can actually be strong enough to be visible." He held out his hands, concentrated on leading his ki through his arms, and focused on the point between his hands. A point of light appeared between his hands.

All three girls were mesmerized. Yuka spoke up tentatively. "What - what can you do with that?"

Kuno huffed at having the spotlight stolen from him. "Well, a pitiful fool with meager ability such as Saotome can't do anything more than generate an insignificant spark that only astounds the weak of mind."

The girls turned angry looks on Kuno. Akane set her lunch down so she could pound him into the dirt, but stopped when Ranma spoke.

"Well, Kuno is right 'bout one thing - you can't do much with a little 'spark' like this. But... with a bit more ki, you can do _this_!"

The girls took a step back as the point of light ballooned to the size of a bowling ball. Ranma gave a yell as he shoved his hands forward and projected the ball towards Kuno. The older boy barely had time to blink before the ball of ki struck him; he was carried along by the ki several meters before the ball detonated. The blast scorched the ground over a large area, and threw Kuno across the campus.

The girls stared wide-eyed at Ranma. All across the courtyard, people stopped and sought out the source of the explosion. Heads appeared at all the windows on the front of the school building.

Sayuri spoke in a shaky voice. "H-h-h-how can you do that?! It's impossible!"

Ranma waved it off. "That's nothin'. Akane could generate that much ki with a little trainin'."

Akane boggled. "Really? When can we start?"

Ranma smiled. Akane had the same expression Shan Pu had the first time Ko Lon demonstrated the Rising Dragon Ascension. "After dinner soon enough?"

Akane nodded dumbly.

****

Nabiki caught up with Akane and Ranma as they walked home. "Hey guys. What was all the racket at lunch?"

"Ranma was demonstrating ki projection using Kuno as a target." She smiled happily. "He's going to show me how to do that after dinner."

Nabiki stared at the pair. Ranma could generate a ki attack strong enough to cause the explosion that had occurred at lunch? And was going to teach it to her little sister? She smiled nervously at Akane. "Uh, sorry about this morning, Akane-chan. I thought if Kuno knew about the engagement, he might leave you alone." She crossed her fingers.

Akane frowned at her older sister. "You know I don't like you stirring up Kuno. You're lucky I'm in a good mood." She stomped down the street.

Ranma leaned closer to Nabiki and whispered. "This is a good mood?"

Nabiki nodded. "She always happy when she's learning a new technique. Speaking of which, why are you waiting until after dinner for the lesson?"

She yelped and jumped to the side as water cascaded over Ranma's head. The boy shrank and changed into his girl form. Both girls looked up at the window where the water had come from.

Ranma sighed and rubbed his temples. "I spent all day makin' sure _that_ wouldn't happen at school. 'Tween that and fightin' Kuno, I've gotta headache and I'm exhausted." He continued after Akane down the street. "I won't be ready to show her anything until I've had some rest and food."

Nabiki stared at the girl. "Good idea," she mumbled.

_End Chapter 2_

Next chapter, Akane begins training with Ranma. 


	3. Leaping To Conclusions

A Ranma 1/2 alternate universe mini-series. Genma and Ranma go to China after Ukyo's father files charges against Genma for running off with his yatai. A PG rating for language and situations.

This story and a few others can be found on my web page at  
http://www.geocities.com/jlfenton65/  
jlfenton65@yahoo.com  
  
Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc. and was created by Rumiko Takahashi.  
This story is of my own derivation and is not intended for commercial purposes, so please don't sue me.  


Author's Notes: Ranma is always referred to in the masculine because he believes himself to be male regardless of his body. You'll just have to keep an eye out for all the references to which form he is currently in. Anyone else in the story that has a gender curse will be referred to according to the current gender until people find out which gender they truly are, then they will refer to them that way just the same as they do Ranma. The only exception will be when people are around who think Ranma is a girl; then, everyone will refer to him as a girl to maintain that idea. My thanks to Josh Temple for pre-reading this chapter; he is the author of the bizarre but very good Ranma fanfic, "Generation Lost."

Last Chapter: In chapter two, Ranma and Genma came to Nerima. Ranma believed they were just visiting, but soon learned of the arranged marriage. After a demonstration of his abilities, Nabiki and Akane were in shock. Nabiki was initially attracted to the handsome and powerful boy, but decided to pass the buck when she found out about his curse. Akane learned more about her fiancé on the way to school the next day. Nabiki told Kuno about the engagement before school, so he was waiting to challenge Ranma. After a brief fight, Kuno was thoroughly beaten. At lunch, Ranma demonstrated a ki attack (on Kuno) to Akane and her friends. He promised to teach it to her.

Growing Up the Half Way

Chapter 3: Leaping to Conclusions

by Joe Fenton

Akane sat cross-legged in the middle of the dojo. She had her hands held slightly apart in front of her, a look of fierce concentration was on her face, and sweat drenched her gi. A light aura surrounded her. She'd have felt better about her progress if it hadn't taken her a week to get this far. Ranma had her sit and concentrate on her ki for hours at a time; it hadn't taken her long to manifest her aura, but controlling her ki was considerably more difficult than she initially expected. Slowly, a point of light flickered between her hands.

Ranma looked on as Akane finally channeled enough ki to generate an external manifestation between her outstretched hands. "Wow! That's great! You're really getting there! Now, keep it up! Keep channeling your power!"

A frown started to form on Akane's face.

Ranma was too intent on the glowing ki to notice. "Yeah! That's it! Just like that!"

A small growl came from the concentrating girl.

Ranma never noticed. "Yeah! Yeah! Keep going!"

The ball of ki expanded from a pinpoint, to marble size. Her aura slowly changed from near white to red.

"Wow! That's great! Keep going! Keep going!"

The growl became a roar as the ball expanded to the size of a softball.

Ranma finally noticed that Akane was enraged. He further noticed that her hands were now pointed in his direction. He was now looking _right into_ a sphere of ki about the size of a bowling ball. "AAAHHH!!! Point that some other way!!!" He dove to the side as the ball sputtered, then slowly dispersed.

Akane turned an angry glare on the boy. "How can I concentrate with you _yelling_ like that!"

Ranma slowly got up, rubbing the back of his head. "Oops! Sorry 'bout that." He gave her an apologetic look. "I was just tryin' to be encouraging. Lucky for me, you can't project that ki just yet." He laughed sheepishly.

Akane growled a little more. "Yes. _Lucky_ is _definitely_ the key term here."

"I really am sorry. I never taught anyone before and I guess I got carried away by how well you were doin'."

Akane brightened as she thought about it. "I guess I _did_ do pretty good there, didn't I?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, but don't use your emotions like that. I know it makes it easier, but you can't always depend on a particular emotion bein' available all the time." Akane's smile dropped a bit as she listened to the lecture. "If you depend on your anger to develop your ki, what'll you do if you're not angry? Just do it the way I showed and work on buildin' your ki reserves. It'll also be more helpful in other areas, like your speed."

Akane flopped onto her back as he finished, too tired to continue sitting upright. "Man! I am wiped out!"

"You pretty much drained your reserves. We'll rest a bit, then I want you to start on those exercises again."

Akane gave him an irritated glare. "_We'll_ rest? All you've done is sit there and try to break my concentration!" She shook her head. "I swear! With as much ki as _you_ have, you should be able to fly!"

Ranma gave a snort. "Yeah right! Like people can fly... I'd love to see that!"

Akane gave him a serious look. "No. I'm serious about this. You can move so fast you can cause sonic booms, and make balls of ki like they were soap bubbles. Why _can't_ you fly?"

Ranma was struck dumb. "Uh..."

Akane smiled again. "So, the Great Ranma Saotome didn't think of that himself, huh?" She gestured from where she lay on the dojo floor. "Go ahead. Give it a try."

Ranma looked thoughtful for a moment, then moved to the side a little. He closed his eyes and summoned his ki. As his aura flared around him, he concentrated on projecting his ki. The floor beneath him exploded in a flash, debris flying as the boy dropped with a yell into the storage space beneath the dojo.

Akane stared for a second, then burst into laughter. Ranma jumped through the hole and watched his fiancée laugh for awhile.

"Okay, okay! It wasn't _that_ funny!" He huffed and crossed his arms.

Akane's laughter slowly trailed off. She stood as she wiped her eyes. "Yes, it was." She smirked at the boy. "Tell me, Ranma. Did you just try projecting your ki downward?"

Ranma frowned. "Yes!" He threw his arms up. "How else am I supposed to fly?"

Akane smiled. "Well, as I understand my lessons, when doing a ki attack, you center yourself in your ki, then push a portion of it away using the rest to hold yourself in place." Ranma nodded at her, so she continued. "So, it seems to me that what you _should_ be doing is holding your _ki_ in place, and pushing _yourself_ away."

Ranma thought about for almost a full minute. His face lit up. "Ah! I see! You might be right about it!" He closed his eyes and summoned his ki once again. This time, the explosion came from the roof as Ranma punched right through. Debris rained down as he disappeared from sight.

Akane stood with her mouth hanging open. She quickly ran to the yard and scanned the sky. A few seconds later, a sound could be heard. It increased in pitch and volume as the source came closer.

"aaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH_HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH_!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Water splashed over the roof of the house as Ranma hit the koi pond. A couple koi flopped on the ground near Akane's feet. She looked at the fish, then back at the water running down the roof of the house. She fell to the ground as laughter once more robbed her of any ability to stand.

Ranma slowly walked around the side of the house with a bucket of water. He stopped by the laughing girl, watching her for a moment, then snorted. The pig-tailed girl picked up the koi and tossed them in the bucket. He left Akane still rolling on the ground as he made his way around the rest of the house, retrieving the fish as he came to them.

****

Nabiki frowned at Ranma across the table. The boy sat eating rapidly, but politely. Amazingly, Akane was keeping pace with him. As she increased her ki training, her appetite also increased. Ranma explained how her body was compensating for the drain, converting food to energy. Akane didn't mind as long as that was the _only_ place the food was going.

Nabiki brought up the first item on her agenda. "You should get a job, Ranma. The repairs on the dojo won't pay for themselves."

Ranma just waved off her suggestion. "I'll make the repairs myself." He looked at Nabiki's shocked face. "What? How do you think we paid for lessons while on our trainin' trip? You don't think he," he hooked a thumb at the elder Saotome, "ever did a lick a work?"

Genma frowned. "It was training, boy! You had to be able to repair the dojo when you took it over."

Soun nodded sagely from where he sat. "Yes. As I learned to repair it from my father, so it is now up to Ranma and Akane." He turned to the pair of teens. "We'll go out to the dojo later and make a list of what needs to be done."

Nabiki moved on the next item. "So, you can fly now?"

Soun and Genma looked expectantly at Ranma.

Ranma laughed sheepishly. "More like barrel uncontrollably through the air." He shook his head. "I gotta long way to go before it can be even remotely considered flyin'."

Kasumi gave him a comforting smile. "We know you'll get it Ranma. In the meantime, why don't you just try hopping? I know how much you enjoy hopping around the rooftops; well, it'd be just like that, but without the roofs." She smiled disingenuously.

Everyone stared at the eldest girl. Ranma was the first to overcome shock. He gave her a wide smile.

"That's a great idea Kasumi! Thanks!"

Kasumi blushed modestly. "You're welcome, Ranma."

Akane looked up from her dinner briefly. "Well, that gives _you_ something to do. What about _my_ training?"

Ranma didn't bat an eye. "You'll start sparrin' with Pop."

Akane lost the mouthful of rice she was chewing. "_What_?!"

"You're doin' good on the ground, but it's too limiting. Suppose someone attacks you from a roof? Or a tree? Now that you have some control over your ki, you need to start usin' it, and this is a good way to start."

"Well, I suppose." She gestured at Genma. "But, why _him_?!"

Ranma smirked at her. "I've gotta couple a reasons. Mainly, I'll be busy workin' on this hoppin' technique Kasumi suggested." He turned his attention back to his dinner.

Nabiki couldn't resist. "You said you had a couple of reasons. What's the other one?"

Ranma reddened, then mumbled something under his breath.

Nabiki smiled. "What was that, Ranma-chan?"

"I said, Akane can get a little angry while sparrin'. I'd rather she was angry at Pop instead a me." He concentrated on his meal.

Akane choked on her rice again, then blushed from embarrassment.

Nabiki noticed Akane's discomfiture and decided a little teasing was in order. "Awww. Isn't that cuuuute? Sounds like True Love!"

Akane started to bristle.

Genma went from scowling to laughing in an instant. He elbowed Soun. "Sounds that way to me, right Tendo?"

Soun laughed as well. "Definitely, Saotome. Perhaps now would be a good time to hold the wedding!"

Ranma started to cough raggedly as his dinner went down the wrong pipe.

Akane started to glow red as Soun and Genma hopped up and danced around crowing about the houses being joined. She stood and pulled back her mallet to flatten the pair. She completed the back-swing, but the mallet refused to move forward. She glared at Ranma who was holding the hammer firmly in place.

Before she could retort, he explained. "Now Akane, I told you earlier 'bout usin' your anger to drive your ki."

She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry." Her aura slowly changed from red to an almost pure white.

Ranma nodded and removed his hand from the mallet. "Much better!"

Akane grinned as she swung at their oblivious fathers.

****

Soun smiled as he watched Akane train with his old friend. Genma was introducing Akane to the basics of aerial combat; this consisted of leaping into the air and either launching an offensive strike, or twisting in mid-air to avoid one. He had Akane alternate between the two; after she gained some experience, they would move on to doing both. With all the ki training Ranma had put Akane through in the last week, she was getting some impressive height in her leaps.

Soun turned his attention to the girl - er, boy. He shook his head as he reminded himself that Ranma preferred people refer to him as a guy regardless of his current gender. The boy was leaping into the air much like his father and fiancée, but at the apex of his leap, he would use his ki to leap again, and yet again when he fell back down to the level of the rooftop. Every once and a while, he would lose his concentration and bounce off in an unintended direction; hence, his current gender. The curse seemed to draw him to the koi pond; no matter where in the yard he was currently, if he misjudged a hop, he landed in the small pond. Ranma couldn't spare the ki to return to his male form until he was done with his practice. A thud and soft curse brought his attention back to his little girl.

Akane sat up slowly. "I need to rest a moment."

Genma frowned. "You're soft, girl! Why, we've only been at it for an hour! I'd spar like this with Ranma all day -"

Akane cut him off before he could really get started. She _hated_ being compared to Ranma. Ranma this - Ranma that. "So spar with him for an hour or two while I recover." She stood and stretched to work the knots out of her back. "It looks like he's ready to try working his new technique into your workouts."

Genma watched Ranma bounce around for moment, noting that Ranma had started adding a kata to his practice. "She's right, boy! Let's see what this new technique of yours can do against a Master."

Ranma smirked and launched a preemptive strike against his father. "Let's go, old man!"

Akane sat on the porch next to her father. They watched the Saotomes fight across the yard. For once, Ranma wasn't trouncing his father; Ranma was still working his ki-bounce into his fighting style, and Genma was taking full advantage. He hadn't been this close to beating his boy in years and was savoring the moment. Moments like this would be fewer and further between in the years to come.

Akane smiled as she watched the pair. Not that she wished Ranma any ill, but she had just spent the last hour being compared to him while being beaten soundly. Watching Ranma take the same beating made her feel just a little better.

****

Ryoga growled as he turned down yet another street. He was _thoroughly_ lost. The twisted and haphazard arrangement of houses in the suburbs of Tokyo was enough to throw off someone with a _good_ sense of direction; for someone like Ryoga... he had passed this same sign thirty-six times in the last twenty minutes.

It was time to swallow his pride and request some help. He grabbed the first person to pass by, hoisting the poor boy off the ground by his collar. "Where is the Tendo Dojo?!"

The boy swallowed nervously and pointed over Ryoga's shoulder. He looked at where the boy pointed; on the boundary wall of a decent size compound was a sign reading, 'Tendo's Martial Arts. School of Indiscriminate Grappling.' He let the boy drop to the ground as he considered his good fortune. A familiar pig-tailed girl appeared briefly over the boundary wall. "Ranma!" Ryoga jumped onto the wall. The sight before him made his blood boil; Ranma's beast of a father was beating his daughter while the girl fled around the compound... at least, that was how it appeared to Ryoga.

Ranma was maneuvering his pop into position for a vicious pounding when a familiar voice distracted him.

"Don't worry Ranma! I'll save you!" Ryoga sprang from the wall and drove Genma over the wall on the other side of the compound with a kick to the chest.

Ranma sighed as he landed lightly. "Hey Ryoga. What are you doin' in this part a Tokyo?"

Ryoga shuffled nervously. "Uh, nothing much. How was your trip to China?"

"Interesting... I suppose you'll want to stay for dinner and hear all about it."

Ryoga turned bright red and nodded. "Um, uh, if it's not, uh, any trouble that is."

Ranma blew a stray strand of hair from his face. "I gotta clean up. Just wait here and try not to get lost." Ranma motioned to the Tendos as he passed into the house. They followed him inside to the living room.

Akane gave Ranma a penetrating stare. "Okay, Ranma. Fess up. Who's that boy, and what's going on between you two? I've seen that look he has before."

Ranma glared at her. "It's nothin' like that! Ryoga lived near where me and Pop stayed while I was in Jr. High. I think he has a bit of a crush on me; he thinks I'm a girl."

Soun turned to go outside. "Well, we'll put an end to that right now."

Ranma restrained him. "No!"

Akane looked shocked, then growled at him. "_Ranmaaaa_!"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "I told you, it's nothin' like that!" He gave them a level gaze. "Look, the guy has a bad life. He has this problem of always getting lost." He noticed the disbelieving looks. "Really! It runs in his family. In the year I knew him, I never once managed to meet his folks. The guy lives on instant ramen and handouts. Pop once took me to a shrine in Okayama, and there he was, asking folks which way to Tokyo." The disbelief had mostly faded. Ranma gave them a hard stare. "Pop turns into a Panda and I change into a girl, and you have trouble believing that someone just has a bad sense a direction?"

Akane finally relented. "Okay, I believe you. But what does that have to do with not telling him you're a really a boy?"

"How would you feel if you found out the person you had a crush on was not who you thought they were?"

Akane tried to picture Dr. Tofu as really being a women. "Okay... I can see you not wanting to hurt his feelings, but isn't he going to find out eventually? The longer you put it off, the more it will hurt him in the end."

Soun turned back to Ranma. This was much more interesting than the evening programming on TV.

Ranma sighed. "Yes. I know all that - _now_. I didn't understand that until it was a real problem. My hope is that while he's lost one time, he'll run into someone he can have a real relationship with. After he's over me, I can safely let him know who I really am. I'm afraid that if I tell him before then that he'll do something - rash."

Akane nodded slowly. "Okay. We'll do it this way for now. I'll tell Nabiki and Kasumi so they don't blow your cover; Daddy can handle your father."

Ranma gave her a warm smile. "Thanks Akane. I owe you one."

Akane smiled back. "Well, you can start by letting me have the bath first." She headed off to speak with her sisters before cleaning up.

****

"So the elder started dropping hints about guys she'd like me to marry." Ranma wove his story as they ate dinner. Ryoga hadn't taken his eyes from him the whole evening; he looked appropriately shocked at this point. Actually, Ranma's tale was poignant and heart-grabbing; it would have had most people crying if it wasn't for Nabiki and Akane snickering through the whole thing. He couldn't blame them; knowing that Ranma was actually a guy made the whole story a farce of epic proportions, but Ryoga didn't know that.

He frowned as Akane couldn't hold her laughter any longer. He leaned towards Kasumi. "I can't believe how heartless your sister is."

Kasumi gave him a placating look. "She has her own troubles with boys. Hearing Ranma's story simply reminds her that her situation isn't nearly as bad as she sometimes fears. She's not being mean, she's happy."

Ryoga thought it over. He nodded as he turned his attention back to Ranma.

"A few days later, I had the opportunity to bust loose Pop. We high-tailed it back to Japan and made our way here," Ranma said wrapped it up. He looked over at Ryoga. "So, whatta you been up to the last few months?"

Ryoga turned red and laughed nervously. "Well, I sorta followed you to China."

Ranma groaned. "Sorta?"

"Well, I heard you were at some village in the area, so I thought I'd maybe visit. I was walking through this valley with all these pools, when I saw a monkey attacking someone." He puffed a little. "Being a martial artist, I naturally stopped to help. I scared off the monkey, but the lady kinda got knocked into one of the pools." He rubbed the back of his head. "She climbed out of the pool yelling something in Chinese. I couldn't understand her or nothing, when I happen to notice this bucket and ladle. I figure she was down at the pool getting some water to cook with or something when the monkey attacked. So I pick the bucket and she flips out and attacks me. We're struggling over the bucket when she's gets splashed and runs off shrieking." Ryoga shook his head. "I got lost after that. Eventually, I found myself back in Tokyo. I asked around and found you were staying at the Tendo Dojo..." He trailed off.

Ranma sighed in relief. It didn't sound like Ryoga had run into the Amazons. If he had, he'd probably have a couple chasing him to give him the Kiss of Marriage. He started - maybe that was the solution to his problem with the boy. He'd talk about it later with Nabiki; he could afford her advice at the moment and wanted to make sure he wasn't overlooking something.

He looked outside, checking the position of the sun, then turned to Ryoga. "It's getting late. It'll be dark before we reach your place."

Nabiki gave him a querying look. "We?"

Ranma put it succinctly. "If I don't lead him home, it'll probably take him a week to get there. It's how we met in Jr. High."

The three Tendo girls spoke as one. "Ahhhhhh." That explained Ryoga's fixation on Ranma.

Kasumi gave Ryoga a smile. "It wouldn't be proper to make Ranma walk home alone after dark. Perhaps you should stay here tonight and Ranma can show you home tomorrow."

Ryoga paled and stuttered, "Y-y-you r-really don't need to... I - I - I mean, if it's not a problem..."

Nabiki snickered at the boy. "You can share the guest room with Ranma."

Ryoga's eyes rolled up in his head as he passed out.

Kasumi gave Nabiki a disapproving look. "That wasn't very nice, little sister." She looked at Ranma. "I'll get out the spare futon while you carry him out to the practice hall."

****

Nabiki sunk to the cushion by the table, a cup of coffee clutched in one hand. She stifled a yawn as she looked out into the yard. Same old, same old - the pig-tailed girl was sparring with the panda again. They were better than an alarm clock; now if she could just set the time at which they woke her.

"I'll save you Ranma!"

Nabiki spit out a mouthful of coffee as Ryoga side-kicked the panda out of the compound. Well, _that_ was new.

Ranma glared at Ryoga. "What part of yesterday's story did you _not_ understand? The panda is my old man, and we were _sparring_."

Ryoga laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, yeah. Sorry about that."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Come on. Kasumi's probably got breakfast ready." Ryoga followed the girl into the house.

Everyone sat around the table, Ryoga eying the panda where it sat opposite him. Kasumi handed over the kettle. Ryoga just blinked as it poured the water over its head, changing back to human.

"I thought I had seen everything." He shook his head.

Akane mumbled into her breakfast. "You have _no_ idea."

Nabiki gave Ryoga a patently fake smile. "You should be heading home soon. Mind if I tag along?"

Ryoga was a little intimidated; the looks he kept getting told him it was best just to go along with her. "Uh, no. I don't mind."

Akane frowned at her sister. She had something planned for the poor boy; he needed someone who knew Nabiki to watch out for him. "I'm coming along too." It wasn't a request.

Ryoga looked back and forth at the three pretty girls and started trembling. Being lost all the time was hell on his social life. He wasn't sure he could take all the female attention. He took a deep breath - they were just walking him home... coming with him to his house where his parents were most likely out and they would be all alone together with no supervision. His nose started to bleed as he fell over sideways, unconscious.

Akane frowned. The boy was obviously a pervert. She'd better bring the _large_ mallet - just in case.

****

The figure stalked the streets of Tokyo in ornate armor almost completely covered by the oversized cloak. It was trailed by two boys, also dressed strangely: one was small, wearing part of a wolf skin as a cap, and had a sword nearly as long as he was tall strapped to his back; the other was large and had a tiger skin headdress, shoulder pads, leggings, and waist wrap.

The larger boy addressed the cloaked figure. "We have a map. Why are we wandering around here?"

The cloaked figure's tone left no doubt that they were addressing an idiot. "Because we need the bucket and ladle if we wish to find the Open Water Kettle."

The larger boy thought about it. "But, if we need the bucket and ladle, why'd you give them to that guy at Jusenkyo?"

The cloaked figure held a hand towards the boy. The other adroitly sidled out of the way as a flash preceded the larger boy's flight into a nearby wall. "_I didn't give them to him_! The oaf _stole_ them!"

The larger boy rubbed his sore head as he fell back into place behind the other two. "Sheesh! I was just asking, Herb!"

"Just keep watch for him. The moment we have the bucket and ladle back, we are heading for Horaisan."

Around the corner, Ryoga followed Ranma, and was in turn followed by Akane and Nabiki. Akane looked dubiously at the map Ryoga had supplied when asked where he lived. To call it a map was stretching the imagination. It was a crude drawing of a house with Mt. Fuji to one side, a mail box and a couple arrows.

Ranma smirked back at her. "Don't bother with that. I remember where it is. It's in another district, so it'd be faster to catch the train." He turned the corner and ran into someone covered by a cloak. He took a step back. "Sorry 'bout that. Should watch where I'm going."

The figure ignored Ranma completely. It held up an arm to point at Ryoga. "_YOU_!!" The pointing hand flattened and a flash of ki launched Ryoga across the street. "Return what you have stolen or _die_!"

"Ryoga!" Ranma dropped into a defensive stance and drew her ki to it's maximum. Behind her, Akane did the same while Nabiki slipped back around the corner.

The boy in question grabbed what appeared to be a bamboo umbrella from the top of his pack. He leapt high in the air and swung in an overhand blow at the cloaked figure. "NOBODY ATTACKS RYOGA HIBIKI LIKE THAT!" The figure dodged at the last second. Ryoga's strike left a small crater in the ground.

Ranma idly noticed that Ryoga was making conscious use of his ki. If he judged the ki flows correctly, that umbrella weighed nearly fifty kilos. He turned his attention back to the figure, trying to gauge his ki levels.

The figure leapt upwards, the leap smoothly turning into a glide towards Ryoga. "Dragon Spirit Flight!"

Ranma's eyes widened as he clearly made out the burst of ki that supported the figure's glide, and the surge of ki that preceded another blast. "Ryoga! Roll left!"

Ryoga dove to the left in a roll as the ki blast soared through the space he had just vacated.

The figure growled. Ki surrounded his arm as he darted towards Ryoga. "Try dodging my Dragon Energy Sword!"

Ryoga tried to parry with his umbrella. The glowing arm sliced through it, leaving Ryoga holding the handle. He tossed it to the side as leapt back to get some space. He pulled off a bandana, spun it, and released it at the figure.

Off to the side, Akane watched the altercation in worry. The larger boy appeared beside her. She spun to face him.

"Are you a woman?" The boy had a strange expression on his face.

Akane was puzzled, but kept her defense up. "Of course. What else could I be?"

The boy looked ecstatic. "My first time talking with a woman! I will now try touching a woman."

That was all Akane needed to hear. The boy was reaching for her as she brought out the mallet; good thing she brought it along. She channeled her ki like in practice; she wanted to make sure this pervert knew what happened when you messed with Akane Tendo. A near-white aura surrounded her as she swung the mallet. The blow left the boy embedded in the ground at the center of a crater, unconscious. She nodded and looked for the other one. Odds were, he was a pervert too.

Around the corner, Nabiki watched as Akane flattened the large boy in the tiger suit. A voice drew her attention upwards.

"You are a woman!" The smaller boy stood on the top of the wall. "This is the first time I have spoken with a woman." He hopped off the wall, landing next to her.

Nabiki blinked as the boy brandished a mallet nearly as large as Akane's.

"Umm, if it's all right with you, please go on a date with me."

Nabiki looked nonplussed. "First of all, you're a little young for me. Second, that isn't how you ask out a girl."

The boy blinked. "I am? It's not?"

Nabiki smirked. "No. Now if you some money, I might be able to find you just the right girl for a date."

The boy held out a handful of gold coins. "We've been using these. Is it enough?"

Nabiki fought hard and controlled her expression. "It'll do." She thought over the girls who owed her a favor. She waved to a bench a little ways down the street. "Let's sit down and discuss the matter. We don't want to disturb the guys while they're playing."

The boy looked at where the cloaked figure was dodging a flurry of spinning bandanas. He looked torn just for a second, then turned and followed Nabiki.

The cloaked figure leapt over another round of the cloth projectiles. "Enough of this! Dragon Spirit Flight!" He once again glided over Ryoga.

This time, it was the figure who was forced to dodge a ball of ki as Ranma interrupted the attack.

"You fight my friends and you fight with me!" Ranma created a ball of ki at each hand and leapt forward tossing twin strikes at Ryoga's attacker. The figure was blasted across the street. Ryoga followed Ranma's attack with another round of ki charged bandanas. The cloak was shredded as several finally struck home. Ranma stared. "You're a girl!"

Ryoga gawked at the figure. "It's that crazy girl from China!"

The larger boy was up again. "This is the first time I've seen Herb's body. I didn't know it was a woman's."

The figure was revealed as a young woman with white and black hair, and delicately pointed ears. She growled at the amazed onlookers. She pointed at Ryoga. "You have stolen our sacred relic and exposed my shame. You will _pay_ for this, insect."

Ranma yelled to get their attention. "Wait a minute! Ryoga's no thief!"

Akane protested what she felt was the greater insult. "And what's so _shameful_ about being a woman?!"

Herb looked at the two girls. "I am a Musk Warrior! You would not understand."

Nabiki had followed the smaller boy over when Herb had been revealed. "Well, maybe we should sit down somewhere and discuss it like civilized people."

Herb gave her an inscrutable look. "Why should I bother?"

Ranma flared his aura. Flames seemed to lick around his body, reaching up to a height of almost ten feet. The black-haired girl spoke in a sweet voice at odds to the aura she was producing. "Because we're asking so nicely."

Herb seemed to lose her train of thought. She nodded absently.

****

Kasumi was working on lunch when Nabiki called out from the entryway.

"We're home! And we brought some guests."

Kasumi turned down a pot and stuck her head out the kitchen. "How many places do we need to set?"

Nabiki lead the small crowd through the living room. "Four more."

Kasumi saw Ryoga walking next to Ranma. "Welcome back Ryoga. You didn't make it home I take it?"

Ryoga shook his head. "No. We ran into some trouble." He growled at Herb on the other side of Ranma.

Herb had been stealing glances at Ranma all the way to the Tendo home. Ranma was getting slightly nervous over the attention.

Kasumi smiled at the other guests. "Welcome to our home."

The larger boy elbowed the smaller. "She spoke to me! A woman has welcomed me to her home!"

The smaller boy slapped him on the back of the head. "She was speaking to me!"

Herb gestured with a hand. There was a flash and the squabbling pair flew through the open sliding doors into the yard.

Kasumi managed to keep smiling. "My! What interesting people you met!"

Akane frowned at the pair of perverts. "Interesting is not the word _I_ would use." She had kept her mallet in hand and at the ready the entire walk back. One false move and she'd make them into pervert pancakes.

Nabiki sat at the table and waved at the other spots. "Have a seat and let's get this all hashed out."

The other took places at the table. Kasumi brought in bowls of rice and pickles, and a tray of fish slices.

The smaller boy nearly fainted as Kasumi set a bowl before him. "A woman has served me a meal! It is the first time ever!"

Kasumi gave him a questioning look. "Hasn't your mother served you meals before?"

Herb held up a hand, forestalling any reply. He waited as the others were served before he started their story. "A Musk Warrior is taken from his mother right after weaning. He is kept from any female contact and knows nothing but training until the day he marries."

Nabiki couldn't help but break in here. "Wow! Sounds just like Ranma!"

Herb raised an eyebrow at the girl.

Nabiki elaborated. "Ranma's father took her from her mother when she was only five. She spent the next ten years doing nothing but training in martial arts." Nabiki smirked as Ranma growled over her use of the feminine pronouns, but couldn't say anything due to the presence of Ryoga.

Herb gave Ranma another appraising look. "Really?"

Akane snickered. "Yeah. She acts more like a boy than a girl sometimes." Ranma glared at his fiancée.

The fathers were getting rather irritated at this line of conversation. Soun tried to get it back on track. "What does this have to do with the Hibiki boy?"

Herb continued. "I had an interview coming up where I would have to meet a girl. Rather than embarrass myself in front of a woman as Mint and Lime have done so non-stop since we left our homeland," she gestured at the smaller boy, then the larger one, "I decided I would use the Pools of Jusenkyo to make a girl so I could get accustomed to their presence."

Akane bristled. "_Make_ a girl?!" This bordered on the perverted.

Ranma and Genma found their attention fully engaged.

Herb ignored Akane's anger and just nodded. "Yes. The Pools of Jusenkyo curse who or whatever is thrown in them to take the form of whatever drowned there when splashed with cold water. I brought a monkey to the pools to toss into the Spring of Drowned Girl to make a girl. I also had a sacred relic that would lock the monkey in its cursed form." Herb turned a murderous glare on Ryoga. "Before I could toss in the monkey, this oaf knocked me into the spring. He then tried to steal the relic. While I fought with him for it, he splashed me, sealing me in this accursed form, and ran off."

Akane still looked angry. "That's not the way Ryoga told it!"

Ranma finally made the connection. "So you're really a guy!"

Nabiki looked thoughtful. "I suspect the truth is somewhere between the two stories." She addressed Herb. "Ryoga believed the monkey to be attacking you, and was unaware of the properties of the springs. Tell me, does the cursed individual change back with hot water?"

Herb nodded. "Unless locked by the magic of the bucket and ladle. You are familiar with the pools?"

Nabiki tapped a finger absently. "Not the pools, no. A cursed individual."

Genma spoke up for the first time. "So the bucket and ladle prevent a cursed person from changing forms?"

Herb nodded. "Yes, although it had not been used for such in many centuries."

Genma had that greedy look Ranma knew well. "Where is it?"

Herb looked at Ryoga again. "You would have to ask the thief here."

Ryoga shot up. "I'm no thief! I held onto it when you ran off so I could return it if I ran into you again. It's in my pack."

Nabiki rose and went to Ryoga's pack. She almost fell over when she tried to lift it.

Ryoga pushed her gently aside. "Here. Let me." He easily hoisted it in the air and brought it over to the table. He opened the top flap and dug around in it for a minute. He moved a grail to the side; it was stained from all the tea he drank. "No, that's not it." He shuffled a lamp out of the way; he wasn't sure why he kept it as it failed to light, no matter how much oil he filled it with. "Nope." He moved a mirror; he really should get rid of it - what good was a mirror that showed someone else's reflection? "Ah! Here it is!" He pulled out a thin, tall bucket and ladle. He handed it to Herb.

Herb took it eagerly, a look that changed to shock. He turned the bucket towards Ryoga as he spoke in a voice full of outrage. "You cooked _rice_ in the our _sacred relic_?!"

Ryoga was getting tired of the girl - er, guy constantly bad-mouthing him. "I didn't have a pot! Okay?!"

Genma grabbed it from Herb. "I'll clean it out for you!" He rushed to the koi pond. A moment later, he was pouring water from the ladle over his head. The next moment found the panda fainted by the pool.

Ranma walked over and nudged his bulk with a foot. "You are _such_ an idiot, Pop!" He took the kettle Kasumi brought out and dumped it on him, idly noting that he didn't change back.

The panda looked at the steaming water running off him and held up a sign. 'I thought this thing was supposed to lock the curse?'

Herb snorted at the fool. "It did. You are locked in your cursed form. Only the Open Water Kettle can unlock your curse... and mine." He took the bucket and ladle and handed them to Mint.

Ranma shook his head as his pop fainted again. "So where is this Open Water Kettle?"

Herb gave the pig-tailed girl an appraising look. "An Amazon Elder gave me a map. It's here in Japan. Perhaps you would accompany us? While I don't care whether the fool unlocks his curse or not, I would relish the chance to fight you again."

Ranma grinned. "It _was_ a pretty good fight at that. Sure. I ain't doin' much right now. How about we spar a bit?"

Herb smiled evilly. "Do not expect me to hold back because you are a woman."

Ranma bristled, then smiled himself. "I wouldn't _dream_ of it." He focused his ki and practically vanished, only to reappear right in front of Herb. "Anytime you're ready."

Herb flicked his cloak to the side and blurred as well. Hand strikes that were almost indistinguishable to everyone else lashed out at Ranma, who avoided them all easily.

"You'll have to be quicker than that." He lashed out with a few hundred punches of his own, then leapt and added kicks to the mix. Herb almost missed a few in shock at how fast the girl was.

Herb charged both arms with ki. "Let's see how well you handle my Dragon Energy Sword technique."

Ranma smirked and duplicated the technique. "I saw that earlier. Pretty simply if you ask me."

The pair flashed around the yard, trading ki charged blows. Herb smiled as he started his ultimate move.

"Dragon Spirit Flight!" As the girl glided toward Ranma, he leapt into the air. Herb smirked; it was just what he expected the pig-tailed girl to do. He directed the ki blast off the ground and toward the airborne girl. Herb's smirk died as Ranma bounced in mid-air via a burst of ki.

Ranma gloated. "You aren't the only one who can use their ki that way." He directed his own blast down toward Herb as he passed overhead.

The Musk Prince cursed and used a ki charged arm to split Ranma's attack, which exploded on either side of him.

The other residents and guests could only watch in awe of the fight they were witnessing.

Ranma flared his aura brightly and charged after Herb. Herb led Ranma around in a spiral, smirking as it drew to completion. He threw the final uppercut that sent cold ki into the spiral, creating a whirlwind. Then boggled as Ranma laughed aloud from inside the funnel.

"You ain't the only one who knows Amazon techniques." Ranma created a hot aura about one arm, a cold aura about the other, then wove his arms in interlocking circles. The resultant whirlwind completely canceled Herb's. Ranma laughed brightly as he landed lightly. "That was great! I haven't had a fight like that since Ko Lon!"

Herb boggled again. "You know the Amazon Elder Ko Lon?"

Ranma looked smug. "Studied there for a month or so earlier this year."

Kasumi started. "Oh my! That reminds me." She rushed inside, then reappeared shortly with a letter. "You received a letter from China earlier today, Ranma." She handed him the letter.

Ranma tore it open and removed the letter. Nabiki tried to read over his shoulder as he unfolded the document.

"What in the world?" Nabiki was completely baffled as she looked at the missive.

Ranma smirked at her. "It's in Chinese."

Nabiki eyed the shorter girl. "_You_ can read Chinese?"

Ranma snorted. "Of course! Me and Pop lived there nearly three years, after all."

Akane moved next to Nabiki and looked at the letter.

Ranma scanned the letter muttering under his breath. "Dear Ranma, yadda, yadda, yadda. Keep an eye out for Prince Herb of the Musk, yadda, yadda, yadda." His eyes bugged out and he quit speaking aloud as he quickly scanned the rest of the letter. Looking for a _wife_?! Interviewing female martial artists?! Don't under _any circumstances_ reveal your skills to him?! "_AH CRAP_!!"

Nabiki gave him a look of disgust. "Good news, Saotome?"

Akane started giggling and whispered in her ear. Nabiki joined her in giggling.

Ranma fumed at the giggling girls, then stomped into the house, the letter crushed in his hand. "I'm goin' inside to clean up. Anyone who tries to disturb me _dies_ horribly!"

****

Ranma stared out the window as the train wound its way through the Japanese countryside. Akane sat beside him. She had her mallet and the family spear, with instructions to use both as the need arose. Genma sat opposite them, asleep in the afternoon heat. It had taken some persuasion to get them to allow the panda on the train; Genma mainly bared his teeth and brandished a full set of inch long claws. Prince Herb and the his two lackeys sat in the next car forward. Ryoga _would_ have been with them, but had gotten lost finding a seat in the car.

Ranma noticed Akane's puzzled glances. "What?"

Akane looked hesitant about speaking, but finally decided to broach the subject. "Your roots are showing."

It was Ranma's turn to look puzzled. "Huh?"

Akane gestured at his head. "Your hair. It's turning red at the roots."

Comprehension finally dawned on Ranma. "Oh! I forgot to use my hair dye the last few weeks. Guess I've been too busy, what with the engagement, goin' back to school, and everything else."

Akane looked surprised. "You dye your hair? Why?"

"Pop used to get mad, saying I was tryin' to provoke him by dyeing my hair red, so I got some black hair dye to keep it black like Pop was used to seein'."

Akane thought about it a moment. "Is your hair red in your boy-form?"

Ranma sat in silence so long that Akane thought he wasn't going to respond. "I - I don't _think_ so. Maybe my hair changin' color was due to the curse."

Akane nodded. "Sounds like a good possibility. We should check it out later." She looked thoughtful. "How long ago was it that you started dyeing your hair?"

Ranma snorted. "A _long_ time ago! I guess I couldn't have been more than eight, or maybe nine..." He trailed off as he thought about it. "I - I don't understand. I got tired of gettin' beat for screwin' with my hair, so I got some lady to help me pick out the dye to keep my hair black. But it had been changin' for more than a year before that. So how did I get cursed? And when?"

Akane sighed. "Well, I can see why you're so comfortable with it. If you got cursed at around seven, you probably can't remember ever being any different."

"It ain't that bad. I remain human at least. I can sorta understand Pop's wantin' to get cured. Not sure how I'd take being an animal mosta the time."

Akane looked thoughtful. "You think there is something to Herb's story? Maybe those pools have something to do with your curse. His curse sounds the same as yours."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. That's one a the reasons I'm goin' along with them to get this Open Water Kettle. I gotta verify that part a his story."

Akane got a mischievous glint in her eyes. "So - how do you feel about becoming a Princess?"

Ranma growled. "I ain't no girl! I'm _not_ gonna marry any guy, Prince or no Prince!"

Akane smiled widely. "Sorry. I'm just playing around." Her smile dropped. "Besides, our fathers are dead set on us marrying to carry on the Family Legacy and Schools."

Ranma reddened slightly. "Well, I coulda done worse..."

Akane stared in shock. "I - uh - what do you mean?

Ranma slouched in the seat and looked out the window. "When me and Pop first arrived, you always seemed to be so mad, and takin' everything the wrong way. But lately..."

"But lately?"

Ranma reddened this time. "You seem so much nicer now. We seem to get along better, especially when trainin'. I can't remember the last time either of us insulted the other. Well, _directly_ I mean. Somewhere in the last week, it went from insults to just teasin'. I like how it's goin'." He looked a little scared. "Not that I'm ready to get married! It's just that -"

Akane nodded her head. "It's just that it doesn't seem as far-fetched as when you first arrived?" She noticed the girl nodding. She sighed. "I know how you feel. It's a little scary, and I don't care for our fathers pushing so hard," she glared at the panda, who kept on snoring, "but it's not so bad. This last week has been the best I can remember in years." She stopped as the panda snorted, then resumed snoring. She frowned. "Is it okay to talk around him?"

Ranma nodded. "I could tell from the ki levels if he were fakin' it. We're okay for now." He smiled as the scenery rolled past. "I know what you mean. I ain't never really had a place I could think of as home. Now, when I think of goin' home once we get the kettle, it's your place I'm thinkin' of."

Akane blushed. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way. I'd really hate for you to go." She panicked a little. "Because of the training! Yeah, that's it."

Ranma smiled. "Yeah. The trainin'." Had anyone been listening, they wouldn't have been fooled in the least.

****

Ranma ducked back out of the restroom at the train station, hair once more solid black. "You were right. My hair _is_ black in my guy-form and red when I'm this way."

Akane stared. "You just dyed your hair? How? You were in there less than a minute."

Ranma smirked. "Ancient Amazon Hair Stylin' Secret Technique. You wouldn't believe some of the things the Amazons have made into martial arts."

Akane gave him a straight look. "Back home, we got Martial Arts Gymnastics and Ice Skating. I'd believe just about _anything_ after this last week." She frowned. "Except maybe Martial Arts Tea Ceremony." She laughed. "Now _that_ would be hard to buy."

Ranma laughed with her.

Genma stuck a sign up. 'It's so great to see my boy getting along with his fiancée!'

The larger boy, Lime, came up to their group. "What's the sign say?"

Genma flipped the sign around. 'Nothing! I'm just a cute little panda!'

Ranma rolled his eyes. "He can't read that either, Pop!"

Lime looked between the two. "Herb sent Mint for some food. We'll eat something before heading for the mountain. She's waiting out by the road."

Akane shook her head. "Herb is a guy, remember? He's stuck in his cursed form."

Lime looked at her with tears running down his face. "I'm talking with a girl!" He grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder. "Next I'll try eating with a girl!"

Akane was pinned rather effectively. She _knew_ she should have had her mallet out. "Ranma! _Do_ something!"

Ranma tapped Lime on the arm. "If you put her down right now, it won't hurt as much."

Lime looked confused as he placed Akane on her feet. "What won't hurt?"

A glowing Akane flattened him with her mallet.

Ranma looked at his prone form. "That won't." He shrugged, grabbed his pack in one hand and scooped up Lime, tossing him over his shoulder as they all proceeded out of the station.

Herb stood next to the road winding off toward the mountain. He scowled as Ranma dropped Lime. "What happened?"

Ranma shrugged. "He's still embarrassing himself around girls."

Mint returned with some bread and milk. "I bought food from a girl!"

Lime smiled from the ground. "I got to touch a girl!"

Mint scowled. "No fair! I want to touch a girl too!"

Herb held out a palm. Ki flared and the pair were blasted down the road. "Perhaps we should just go."

The Nerima residents all nodded.

****

It was getting late as they reached the end of the suspension bridge. Ranma craned her neck to look up the near vertical cliff at the end.

The panda looked up and held out a sign. 'Perhaps I'll wait down here.'

Ranma rolled his eyes, then glanced over at Akane.

Akane shook her head. "I can handle it."

Ranma nodded his head and smiled. "Good, 'cause I'm taking the fast way up, and the landin' ain't gonna be pretty."

Before Genma could react, Ranma grabbed a handful of fur and focused his ki. The Musk stared in shock as the pair rocketed up the mountain slope.

Herb was the first to shake of the shock. "She - she can fly?"

Akane laughed. "As Ranma put it - it's more like 'barrel uncontrollably through the air.' The landing will be pretty rough."

Ranma cut out his ki as he shot past the top edge of the cliff. The girl and panda overshot the top and then fell as gravity reasserted itself. Ranma twisted to put his father between him and the ground. The landing knocked all the air from the panda's lungs. It lay where it landed, straining to draw a breath.

Ranma picked himself up and slung his pack over his shoulder. "Thanks Pop! Not that a fall like that would hurt or nothin'." He shrugged and examined the forest ahead. He could sense an approaching danger.

The panda staggered up next to him and held out a sign. 'That _hurt_ you know!'

Ranma held out a hand. "Somethin's comin'!"

From the descending gloom of the edge of the forest, dozens of eyes peered at the pair. Seeing a young girl and a panda, they felt their attack would be an easy victory. Shrieking wildly, they charged.

The panda tried to run. Ranma stuck out a leg to trip him as he turned to run.

Ranma flared his aura and focused on both heat and cold. "Hiryu Shoten Ha!" The whirlwind drew in all the attacking forms and tossed them out into the forest.

Ranma looked disgusted. "You were running from a bunch a monkeys, Pop!"

The panda held out a sign. 'I wasn't running!' He flipped it around. 'I was giving you room to fight.'

Ranma nodded. "Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say, Pop."

Herb, Mint, and Lime came bounding over the edge. Herb approached as the others moved to the sides, looking for the danger.

"We saw the whirlwind! What happened?"

"Just some monkeys." He shrugged. "No big deal."

Akane dragged herself over the edge and collapsed, panting. "Don't - don't mind - me. I - just need - a minute."

Herb looked around as darkness fell. "We should set up camp here and start first thing in the morning." He gestured at Mint and Lime, who flinched back. "And before you say _anything_, no, you are _not_ going to share a tent with a girl!" He gestured to one side. "You two can share a tent over there."

The pair reluctantly set up their tent, but refrained from saying anything as they noticed the other two girls glowing in anger.

The panda held up a sign. 'You girls should share a tent.' He flipped it around. 'For protection.'

Akane growled from where she sat, while Ranma frowned.

"I know what you're thinkin', Pop." He turned to Akane. "Uh - it's probably a good idea, though. There's no tellin' what else is out here."

Akane looked ready to protest, then blew out her breath. "Fine! It's no big deal. I mean, we're both _girls_ after all."

This time, it was Ranma who looked ready to protest. He finally just started on the tent.

****

Everyone gathered at the top of the mountain. Mint held the bucket and ladle.

Herb looked around. "This will take some time. The ladle acts as a compass, pointing out the location of the Open Water Kettle, but only if within a kilometer of it."

Akane looked thoughtful. "Maybe -"

Lime cut her off. "Mint is the fastest. He should do it."

Herb nodded.

Mint protested. "You just want to goof off! We should take turns!"

Akane looked irritated. "I think-"

Ranma broke in. "We should all take turns. This is a group effort after all."

The panda held out a sign. 'I won't be able to call anyone if I find it.'

Ranma punched him in the side of the head. "You could always just growl!"

Akane tried again. "I really think -"

Herb interrupted. "It doesn't really matter. The kettle has been here for centuries. Another hour or so won't hurt."

A boulder exploded as Akane fired a ki blast into it. She looked a little shocked herself, then noticed she finally had their attention. "I think we should probably start by that kettle-shaped rock formation." She pointed over their shoulders.

The assembled group turned to look, then face-faulted.

Herb tried to look dignified as he stood and brushed his cloak. "That was going to be my next suggestion."

They were already within the required distance, so Mint quickly set the kettle and ladle down. The ladle started to spin, then stopped, pointing straight toward the rock formation, a light-beam intersecting the portion of it corresponding to the spout.

Akane rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sure glad we had the bucket and ladle to tell us where to look. We might have spent _minutes_ figuring it out otherwise."

The panda held out a sign. 'No one likes a smart-ass, girl!'

Ranma took the sign and whacked him over the head with it. "You of all people should be appreciative!" He tossed the sign to the side and took off. "Let's go!" Everyone scrambled to catch up.

Breaking through the forest, they stood below a small hillock; the kettle shaped rock formation was atop the mass of stone, with two gnarled trees forming what appeared to be the handle of the kettle. The tip of the spout glowed in the light-beam given off by the ladle.

Herb raised an arm glowing with ki. The blast sheared through the tip of the spout revealing the kettle. As they stood staring, water flowed forth from behind the kettle, boiling as it came in contact with the kettle.

Lime looked surprised. "Hot water is pouring from it!"

Herb just started forward. "There must be an underground spring behind it. The Open Water Kettle causes it to boil."

The panda held up a sign. 'So this water will unlock the curse?'

Herb ignored him as he strode forward under the downpour of water. His figure was obscured by the water. The person exiting the water was as clearly masculine as the figure entering had been feminine.

The panda ran for the steaming waterfall. Just short of the water, Herb caught him and held him firm.

Ranma growled. "What are you doin', Herb?"

Herb smirked a moment, then tossed the panda over his shoulder into the water.

Genma emerged from the waterfall, adjusting the bandana to cover his bald head. "That wasn't very nice, _boy_! Maybe I should teach you some manners!"

Herb released a blast that carved through the rock around Genma. "My ki powers are far greater in my natural form!" He looked at Ranma. "Perhaps you would like to spar with me now?"

Ranma shrugged. "Maybe once more, before we all go our separate ways." The pig-tailed girl gave him a firm look. "But this is over between us. You just go home and leave me and mine alone."

Herb just smiled. "As you wish. But remember, there are other pools at Jusenkyo. Even one that can take care of your father's little problem for good. Come visit me in China and I may show it to you."

****

Ranma sat quietly as the train sped towards Tokyo. Akane noticed how quiet the boy had been the entire trip. Ranma had changed back to his male form almost the instant Herb was out of sight.

"I thought you really didn't care which form you were in?"

Ranma looked up at his fiancée. "I thought I didn't either. I guess on some level, I still do."

"So what do you think about what he said?" Akane was hesitant to ask, but thought Ranma needed to talk about it.

Ranma was slow to respond, indicating he was thinking before he answered. "I know Pop can't stand our curses. These Pools of Jusenkyo as Herb called them are probably the source of our curses. It's possible they might also be the cure." He shook his head. "It seems too easy. You know he'll be waitin' for us to come. It's a fairly obvious trap that he's not botherin' to conceal." He smiled now. "Besides, I don't feel like swimmin' to China again."

Akane laughed, glad to hear the humor in his voice. It would be good to be home again - the both of them.

_End Chapter 3_

Next chapter, Genma remembers a training ground they visited ten years ago, a certain pervert visits, and more visitors from China.

More Author's Notes: There were two main complaints about the first two chapters. First, that Ranma's language was too coarse; well, that's a matter of preference. I made changes to tone it down, but it's hardly important from a story-telling point of view. The second one was that people thought that I was making it too easy for Akane to learn ki techniques. In the story, I wrote that Ranma _thought_ he could teach Akane to be able to do a simple (for him) ki attack in a rather short period of time. I never said he actually could. Ranma will find that it is harder than he thinks. However, it won't take as much time as some people would probably like it to. I do this for a couple of reasons: the first is impatience - I don't want to wait for chapter 73 before Akane finally picks it up. Second, this isn't real life - it's a fantasy story. It can take as much or little time as I feel like. If you need a little more justification, try this: in Dragonball Z, Gohan teaches Videl how to manifest her ki, control it, and fly in _one day_! From reading the manga and watching all available video, I think Akane has at least as much ability as Videl, but I won't have her flying in two days. So try to restrain your anger over how quickly people in this story learn ki techniques. Just for clarification, I draw some of my inspiration in the training sequences from Dragonball Z. You probably noticed it in the lunch scene where Ranma demonstrated his most simple ki attack. I also draw inspiration and terminology from my book on Shaolin White Crane techniques; it is called "The Essence of Shaolin White Crane - Martial Power and Qigong" by Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang. It's really interesting reading on actual qi training, with medical descriptions and justification for what the Shaolin have known for the last fifteen hundred years.

Even More Author's Notes: If you're wondering about Akane reading Chinese, go check out the Pink and Link story. A few questions were posed by my pre-reader, so I'll deal with a few here. The simplest was the question of Ranma's hair color. In the anime, Ranma's hair changes from black to red; in the manga, being as it is black and white, no definitive answer can be made as no one ever says what color it is. However, it is almost certainly black as male, and has a glint when female. The anime colors are used as everyone is comfortable with them. Herb's hair doesn't change color, and that was where the question arose. The answer is, it's genetic; the pool Ranma fell in doesn't turn him into a particular girl, just into who he would have been had he been born a girl. Herb looks nothing like Ranma as a girl, even though they both fell in the same pool; this proves the point. Ranma's hair is related to his mother's hair; in the manga, she has the same glint that Ranma does. In the anime, her hair is a dark auburn; you'd expect Ranma's hair to be lighter colored as he is outside more. It is common as people get older for their hair to become darker as they tend to spend less time out in the sun. The next was a question of whether there was a space under the dojo. I seem to remember there being space under it in one of the OVAs. If not, well, this is an alternate universe, so I'll just say there _is_ space under _this_ dojo. Lastly, _yes_, those extra items of Ryoga's will factor into the story at some point. I know you were probably expecting a no-holds-barred fight at the end that shatters the mountain. I didn't feel like it. That and Herb was trying to be solicitous towards Ranma to get the girl to come to China. They will at some point, maybe chapter five. We _will_ see more of Herb.

SPOILER WARNING: The following section gives a summary of the Herb story from the Ranma manga. If you don't wish to spoil the surprise, don't read the following!

Yet More Author's Notes: This story involves Herb. For those not familiar with the Herb saga, it goes like this. In ancient times, the Musk would toss animals like wolves and tigers into the Spring of Drowned Girl, then lock their form with a magic bucket and ladle. They would take the newly created girls as wives to get the traits of the animals into their bloodlines. In modern times, they no longer do that: they would interview female martial artists in surrounding villages; when they found a girl they thought suitable, they would take her for a wife. A Musk warrior was taken from his mother right after they were weaned, and spent all their time training. They never saw a woman again until they married. The time came for Prince Herb to interview prospective female martial artists to find a suitable wife, but he was nervous, having never met a girl before. To make himself more comfortable during the interviews, he took a female monkey to the Spring of Drowned Girl along with the bucket. He figured he could make a girl so that he could get familiar with them before his interviews. Unfortunately, when he tossed the monkey in, the girl that came out knocked him into the pool, then splashed him with the ladle. There is a magic kettle that would unlock the curse, but it had gotten lost over time. He went to the Amazons, who sent him to Cologne. He brought two other Musk with him, Mint and Lime. Mint has wolf's blood and is super-fast; Lime has tiger's blood and is super-strong; Prince Herb has Dragon's blood and has awesome ki powers. Cologne gave Herb a map to the kettle. While he was speaking with Cologne, Mint and Lime caused trouble with Shampoo and Akane, so Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse all went to the Cat-Cafe to confront them. A fight ensued and Ranma got locked in his girl-form by Herb for exposing that Herb was now female, and for being rude. Ranma was not really being rude, but reacting to how Herb mistreated Akane while trying to leave. The Musk left to find the kettle. Ranma got a map from Cologne so he could unlock the curse; Ryoga and Mousse went with him since they thought the ladle could lock them in their normal forms so they no longer changed. Mousse lost the map and their money, so they worked for some money at a hot-spring. The Musk stopped there for the night and another fight ensued. The Musk left for Horaisan (Treasure Mountain), with the others following them since they no longer had a map. On the mountain, Ryoga and Mousse knocked out Ranma, then fought Lime and Mint for the bucket and ladle. They won and took the bucket and ladle, but it locked them in cursed form. The bucket and ladle acted like a compass to point to the kettle. Everyone scrambled to retrieve it. Herb got to it first and unlocked his curse. He challenged Ranma; if Ranma won, he would get his curse unlocked. While Ranma and Herb fought, Ranma told Ryoga and Mousse to use the distraction to grab the kettle and change back. Mint and Lime got loose and came to join the fun, but Ryoga and Mousse finally unlocked their curses. Ranma used Herb's own ki energy and a variation of the Hiryu Shoten Ha (the Hiryu Korin Dan) to defeat Herb and change back. Herb's attacks were so powerful, they caused the mountain to finally collapse. Ranma saved the unconscious Herb and everyone went home. 


End file.
